Naruto: Infinity Divide
by Thayerblue1
Summary: A crossover between Naruto and Star Trek: TOS. Starts a few years before The Original Star Trek series and takes place in the Star Trek Universe. Featuring Vulcan!Naruto. See inside for details.
1. Chapter 1

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I've wanted to get back into my Naruto/Star Wars crossover **_Naruto: Lunar Eclipse_** but I just haven't been able to find the motivation with that story (and Star Wars VII was _no_ help at all). I played around with the idea of a Naruto/Star Trek story as an alternative and this tale is the result. There are so many Star Trek sources out there it is impossible to list them all. The main ones I am using are Memory Alpha, Memory Beta and the Star Fleet Battles timelines. The stardates I'm using correspond to the new movies. I.E. January 31st 2016 = Stardate 2016.031. The first four numbers are the year and the last three are the number of the day within the year. (December 31st, 2016 = 2016.365)

The timeframe of this story is before, during and after Star Trek: TOS. Several characters will make appearances here and there (Kirk, Spock, etc.) but won't be as central to the story as Naruto who is the main character. In Naruto this takes place after the Naruto: The Last movie.

Considering this story features Vulcan!Naruto he will seem out of character by nature at least until he gets into Starfleet in a few chapters.

Pairings are undecided at this point and whether or not any other Naruto characters (besides Naruto himself) will appear after the first chapter is also undecided. If they do appear I will probably have them as regular humans/aliens (not ninjas). It just depends on how the story goes. I have ideas for a couple of them in mind but nothing solid yet. For now this is a one shot/prologue that I may continue eventually if there is interest in it.

Chapter 1

 **Stardate 2254.010 Tori Prime System**

 _Ships Log: NCC-1371 U.S.S. Republic has entered the Tori Prime System to explore possible signs of life on Tori Prime IV. Previous exploration of this system by the Destroyer NCC-528 U.S.S. Iblis was cancelled due to a main deflector dish malfunction caused by asteroid damage. The Republic has been ordered to follow up on the work already performed by the Iblis…._

The Constitution Class heavy cruiser _U.S.S. Republic_ was on a cadet training cruise under Captain Sheila Tristan. The Captain was a graying but very fit and attractive woman. She was also a stern taskmaster. As it was she was less than pleased that she had a group of trainees that were potentially heading into a danger zone. "ETA to Planet Tori Prime IV Lieutenant Finney?" asked Tristan.

"We are about an hour away Ma'am." replied Ben Finney. "If we drop to sublight before we enter the asteroid field we can clear the way with phasers and avoid the damage the _Iblis_ sustained."

Captain Tristan turned to the weapons station on the bridge. "Well Ensign Kirk; it looks like you get to show us how good your aim is by shooting a bunch of rocks."

Ensign James Tiberius Kirk sweat dropped as his friend Finney grinned obnoxiously at him. "Yes Ma'am!" Kirk answered crisply. ' _I'm a 21 year old junior officer and my first live firing in action will be against space rubble…._ ' he thought morosely. A glint of determination sparked in his eyes. ' _I'll give those rocks hell!_ '

….

As Kirk practiced his trade by clearing a path for the plodding _Republic_ , Captain Tristan turned to her Chief Science Officer T'Ara. The statuesque Vulcan woman was hard at work reading the ship's sensor layouts. Her black hair was in a conservative ponytail. "Anything of interest T'Ara?" asked the Captain. The _Iblis_ reported an unknown power source on the surface of Tori Prime IV."

T'Ara looked up from her station revealing her intense onyx eyes. "I've confirmed the location of the energy source in the northern hemisphere. It seems to be a stable area. Most of the planet is ravaged by both gravity and electromagnetic storms."

"Sounds inhospitable." said Tristan. "The reports were this world was supposed to be Class M."

The Vulcan beauty nodded. "All evidence I am seeing point's towards the planet being Class M in the distant past. I hypothesize that a massive asteroid impact rendered the world uninhabitable within the last two thousand years." She looked back into her scanner. "The area surrounding the power source appears to be ruins created by intelligent life. It is also free of storms and gravimetric disturbances."

"Are there any other calm spots in the storms Commander T'Ara?" asked the Captain.

"There are none I can detect in the northern hemisphere." said the scientist. "I see numerous areas of ruins but only the one place would be safe for an Away Team in the north. Everything else should be researched via probe at this point."

"Keep searching and see what else we can tell from orbit." said the Captain Tristan. "Unless the energy source seems dangerous we'll send an Away Team down to explore."

….

 **Surface Ruins, Tori Prime IV**

Hours later Chief Science Officer T'Ara led the Away Team down to the surface. They appeared in the shimmering energy of a transporter beam on the surface. With the Vulcan woman were Lieutenant Ben Finney and Ensign James Kirk as well as Ensign Mira Cosworth from security and Ensign Collete Devry from engineering.

The area was a desolate wasteland mainly made of rocky soil. The only life forms there were algae and lichens which were seen in clumps here and there. The atmosphere was of a Class M world and was breathable though thin. The sun shined dimly through the thick layers of dust and debris in orbit. It had the general ambiance of a long forgotten tomb….

T'Ara said, "Mister Finney and Cosworth search the area for any signs of energy aside of the core of those ruins. Devry and Kirk are with me."

Before them were the crumbled remains of an ancient tower. It had a large entrance that allowed one to see inside. In its center was a raised stone dais that had a sphere of energy glowing above it. T'Ara led Kirk and Devry down across the remains of a stone terrace that surrounded the tower. Many of the stones were crumbled and their footing was uneven. Devry had her tricorder out and was scanning about. Kirk was about to move forward when Devry called for a halt. "The stones one this side have a fissure underneath them Kirk. They could collapse. Let me look for another way around."

Kirk took a step back and said, "Commander T'Ara, The weight in this area seems to be getting heavier as we get closer to the tower."

"According to my readings there is an artificial gravity field of approximately two point eight that of earth surrounding this structure. Judging that this monument is mostly intact that probably was the normal gravity for this planet before it was devastated by asteroids." T'Ara's communicator beeped and she flipped it open. "T'Ara here." she answered curtly.

"This is Lieutenant Finney Ma'am." crackled the communicator. "Cosworth and I circumnavigated the structure and there are no signs of any power sources or lines of any type leading to it. The tower is entirely self contained."

"Understood Mister Finney." replied T'Ara. "Meet us at the entrance to the structure and watch your footing. T'Ara out." She closed her communicator and said, "Let us proceed."

After carefully traversing the stone terrace both groups met at the entrance where they could clearly see the dais at the center on top of a flight of stone stairs. Devry and T'Ara were both scanning the structure and the sphere of blue energy. Devry said, "There are steel supports under the stone surfaces of the walls, ceiling and floor. It is structurally safe to go forward but we need to be careful because many of the stones are loose."

"What about that ball of energy?" asked Finney. "Is it a threat?

"It seems self contained and stable according to my readings." said T'Ara. "We must remain cautious regardless."

As they stepped inside the tower; an ethereal woman appeared at the top of the stairs. She was humanoid with pale skin and delicate facial features. She had long white hair and horns. Her most distinguishing feature was her pearl like eyes and a third eye in the center of her forehead. The woman wore long, sweeping white robes. "I am Otsutsuki Kaguya and I welcome you to my garden." she said.

Her appearance startled the group but T'Ara answered smoothly as she could. "I am Lieutenant Commander T'Ara of the United Federation of Planets. Thank you for your kind welcome to your garden."

Kaguya smiled wanly and said, "You are the first to come here since my children destroyed themselves in their foolishness."

"Can you tell us what happened to this world?" asked Kirk.

The Rabbit Goddess said, "Observe…."

In their minds the entire Away Team from the _Republic_ saw a vision of the past….

 _Otsusuki Toneri was raining down asteroids on the planet and was threatening to crash the moon into the world and destroy all life. The Five Kages were arguing amongst themselves as to how to stop this threat. In the end the Raikage A used a weapon of mass destruction to end the threat of the moon -a massive chakra canon hidden in Kumo. Instead of the moon being vaporized it simply broke up and the remnants of the moon fell from the sky and devastated the planet in its entirety._

 _Thousand of massive asteroids rendered the world incapable of supporting most life forms. What was left of the moon in orbit above the shattered planet formed a dense cloud of asteroids which did that much more damage by blocking out the sunlight. This destroyed even more life due to radical climate change. The gravity shift from the moon's destruction caused natural disasters all over the globe and within 200 years all intelligent life was completely destroyed….which left the recently freed Otsutsuki Kaguya to weep as there was nothing in her garden left to protect…._

One by one the members of the Away Team succumbed to the horrible visions as the death of a civilization smashed through their mental defenses. In the end all were unconscious on the ground except for T'Ara whose rigorous Vulcan mental discipline kept her conscious through the assault. She was kneeling and shaking all over from the horrors she'd seen. As the tears streamed down her face T'Ara looked at her unconscious team and tried to call for an emergency beam out. That's when the young Vulcan woman saw Kagaya pick up the sphere of energy and bring it down the stairs.

Kaguya held the orb as if it was something more precious than her own life. The Rabbit Goddess shrank the ball down to the size of a marble and showed it to the stunned T'Ara. "You will do nicely." said Kaguya. "I'll entrust you with this T'Ara. You will know what to do when the time comes…."

T'Ara blacked out….

….

An hour later Ensign James T. Kirk woke up and saw his teammates were all lying on the ground unconscious. There was no sign of the sphere of energy or the hauntingly beautiful woman named Kaguya….

He grabbed his communicator and flipped it open. "This is Ensign Kirk to _Republic_. I have five for emergency beam out."

"This is the _Republic_. We lost track of you for 67 minutes." crackled the communicator. "Roger that emergency beam out Kirk. Stand by." Kirk felt the welcome feeling of the transporter beam surround him and sighed in relief….

….

 ** _U.S.S. Republic_** **, Sickbay**

….The entire away team was suffering from mental trauma to some degree but the most shocking by far was what had happened to their team leader T'Ara.

Chief Medical Officer Doctor Nancy Solace finished her thorough examination of T'Ara and said, "I don't know any way to sugarcoat this T'Ara. You are pregnant with a child that is a hybrid Vulcan and humanoid. The genetic markers indicate the child's non Vulcan heritage is similar to a Terran human. The child is male and in perfect health with no signs of deformities whatsoever. Unless you decide to terminate the pregnancy then you should give birth to a healthy baby boy in 10 months as per the norm of a typical Vulcan gestation period." Then Doctor Solace added, "There should be no threat to your health at all T'Ara."

The Vulcan Chief Science Officer now found herself in a situation that was difficult to gauge by _anyone's_ standards. ' _What will I do with this unborn child?_ ' she thought worriedly. T'Ara felt the most logical thing to do would be to confer with her husband Sovar and explain the circumstances she was in. "No doubt Sovar and I can come to a logical solution to this issue. Of course, finding my husband on Vulcan will be difficult as usual…." she thought aloud.

Captain Tristan raised an eyebrow. ' _The logical, super organized Lieutenant Commander T'Ara doesn't know where her husband is? I'm surprised she doesn't have him on a shelf with a label._ ' The thought of T'Ara being disorganized struck Tristan as absolutely ludicrous. "I find it hard to understand why your husband would be so difficult to find. Vulcan is very technologically advanced after all."

T'Ara explained, "My husband Sovar is a spiritualist that enriches his soul for months at a time in The Forge located in the ShiKhar District of Vulcan. I personally prefer our residence in the city of ShiKhar to the desert but it is simply not logical to keep him from his interests."

"So he wanders in the desert for months on end?" asked Doctor Solace. "Couldn't you give him a communicator?"

The Vulcan woman shook her head and replied, "The Forge is full of electromagnetic disturbances that cause devices such as transporters and communicators to malfunction. I attempted to design a collar for him to overcome the difficulties but he said the idea was illogical so I shelved the idea until I could come up with a more advanced design such as a bracelet."

"You wanted your husband to wear a collar like a dog?!" asked Doctor Solace trying to contain her laughter.

"It was the most logical solution at the time." replied T'Ara.

Tristan nearly burst into laughter. "So he is a spiritualist." said the Captain getting her humor under control. "Does he have a regular job as well?"

T'Ara nodded. "He also teaches at the Vulcan Institute for Defensive Arts. I met him there while I went to the Vulcan Science Academy. Then I joined Starfleet."

"How did you come to be married?" asked the Doctor. "It doesn't sound like you have very much in common."

"It was a marriage arranged by our parents." explained T'Ara. "It has proven to be a most logical and mutually beneficial match."

"So you do your thing and he does his." said Captain Tristan with a sweat drop.

"Precisely." answered the beautiful Vulcan woman.

 **Stardate 2254.017 En Route to 40 Eridani A System**

 _Ship's Log: The Republic has spent a week investigating Tori Prime IV. The 'safe zone' where the entity Kaguya exists is the only place on the surface of the entire planet that is habitable. Do to the danger presented by Kaguya we will not be returning there. We've completed a full surface scan of the planet and further research needs to be done by a Galactic Survey Cruiser or other science vessel. We are currently headed to 40 Eridani A where the Vulcan Science Academy is waiting to examine our Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Commander T'Ara…._

Ensign James Kirk was over at his friend Ben Finney's quarters conversing about what happened to them. The Lieutenant was sharing his wisdom over some brandy. "Jim, you've got to realize there are more dangers out there in the galaxy than you realize. All of us that were on that mission were shaken up pretty badly. We all will have to undergo psychiatric checks for the next couple of months….Look at the bright side; at least you aren't in Commander T'Ara's shoes."

"I feel bad for her Finney." replied Kirk. "Here she is married and got pregnant by an alien intervention while on duty. What is she going to do? I could see her husband leaving her for that."

Ben smiled, "You don't know Vulcans very well do you Jim?" seeing the Ensign shrug, Finney laughed. "Vulcans are basically incapable of lying without some seriously logical reason. If Commander T'Ara tells her husband what happened then there is no way he would doubt her. Besides, getting pregnant from a ball of energy isn't exactly a love affair you know."

"I guess you have a point." agreed Kirk. "Maybe I should read up on Vulcans a bit more in case I end up serving alongside one regularly. I never got to know Commander T'Ara."

"Probably a good idea." agreed Finney. "After all, you were admiring her body a lot more than _getting to know_ her."

Kirk shrugged and said, "Can you blame me?" Finney just laughed again.

….

T'Ara was in her quarters talking to her Mother-in-law over sub-space. "Mother Varek, it is _imperative_ that I talk to Sovar. It is not a matter that I am comfortable discussing with others or leaving a message about. When you see him, please tell him to call me. I will be coming home soon and wish to see him face to face when I get home."

"Come now T'Ara, what could be so bad that you could not talk to me about it?" asked Varek.

The scientist wanted to say it was because Varek _was a hopeless gossip that never got the facts straight_ but T'Ara decided it wouldn't be logical to start a rift in the family if it could be avoided. "I simply ask that you convey my request to Sovar. Please have him call me. Farewell Mother Varek; I need to go."

"Call again soon T'Ara." replied Varek before the call ended.

 _'I should pray to the gods that my Mother-in-law_ _ **never**_ _catches wind of this situation_.' thought T'Ara. ' _Sometimes it is difficult to believe my calm and relaxed husband Sovar is even_ _ **related**_ _to his chatterbox of a Mother_.' She quietly placed her hand on her flat stomach. ' _It seems hard to believe but I can already sense the baby's presence_.'

….

 ** _U.S.S. Republic_** **, Captain's Office**

After the _Republic_ settled into a geosynchronous orbit around Vulcan; Captain Tristan was talking via sub-space to the Head of the Vulcan Science Academy, Director Sekla. "Just so you understand Director; I do not take these circumstances lightly." said the Captain. "Lieutenant Commander T'Ara is an excellent officer and I am not sure what exactly will come of her situation. Starfleet Command has determined that her home world of Vulcan is the best place for her at this point. I hate to lose her but T'Ara's health must come first."

Director Sekla replied, "Your dedication to your crewmembers is admirable Captain. I remember being one of T'Ara's instructors and she was simply a brilliant student. You may leave her here knowing that the best of care will be provided for her. I too have conferred with Starfleet and they have made the most logical decision in this matter."

"I'll leave her in your care then Director Sekla." said Tristan.

….

 **T'Ara's Quarters**

The young Vulcan Scientist was inspecting all of her belongings which were neatly and orderly packed. She had on her Starfleet dress uniform instead of her Vulcan formal robes. ' _I will miss this place_.' she thought sadly. ' _Still; it is the most logical decision for both myself and my child_ ….' Regardless of logic; it had been very difficult T'Ara to make the decision to leave her friends and comrades in Starfleet. The _U.S.S. Republic_ had been her home for seven years and she felt very melancholy about leaving her ship. After bidding a few last farewells, T'Ara beamed down to her old alma mater, the Vulcan Science Academy….

….

 **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

T'Ara arrived on a transporter platform with her belongings. To her honest shock her husband Sovar was there waiting with his usual long hair and travelling robes. He quickly greeted his wife and said, "Welcome home T'Ara; what's up?"

' _I believe my husband would have been what the Terrans refer to as a hippie had he been born a human_.' T'Ara was glad to see Sovar hadn't changed a bit. She dreaded telling him what had happened. She said slowly, "We have much to discuss in private…."

….

Sovar was sitting back drinking some Vulcan Port to soothe his frayed nerves. T'Ara was upset for obvious reasons and he was completely baffled. Sovar said slowly, "The most important thing to me is you are safe and unharmed T'Ara. You know I will support you regardless of what you decide to do."

T'Ara let out a sigh of relief. "I thank you my husband. I was very concerned that you would react negatively."

He touched his middle and forefingers to hers affectionately. "Do you wish to keep this child? Have you bonded to it psychically?"

"Yes, I can feel the child's presence inside of me." said T'Ara. "It is an amazing feeling."

"Then we shall raise this boy as our own." said Sovar. "It is the logical thing to do and I can tell how strong your bond already is. Still…."

"Still what Sovar?" asked T'Ara.

"It is difficult to conceive that you got pregnant from another woman…." said Sovar seriously.

T'Ara fought back her urge to smack her husband's male pride. "I would liken the situation to artificial insemination than some bizarre form of double female mating Sovar…."

….

10 Months Later on October 10th, 2254 T'Ara gave birth to a birth to a blue eyed, blonde haired baby boy with whisker like birthmarks on his cheeks. Aside of the whisker marks and pointed ears he could pass off for a standard Terran Human.** He was bright eyed and looked intently at his Mother as she held him. Sovar looked at his beautiful but exhausted wife and said, "What shall we name our new son T'Ara?"

T'Ara had a name pop into her mind that sounded like the voice of Kaguya. "Naruto….His name will be Naruto which means….maelstrom."

 **Five years later….**

 **Stardate 2259.283 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

 _Personal Log: Today is my son Naruto's fifth birthday and he has passed all of his elementary school tests at the top of his class. I am very interested in seeing how he performs in an actual school environment. While his grasp upon logic is superb; at the same time he seems to completely accept emotionalism as well. His showing of emotion is rare but it does happen infrequently. I have been very fortunate to be in contact with Lady Amanda Grayson, the wife of Sarek and Mother of Spock. Her grasp on the mind of a hybrid child is much greater than mine and her experience as a school teacher is a wealth of knowledge._

 _Lady Amanda has described my son's fondness for riddles and occasional emotionalism as Naruto being a "prankster by nature." He has been known to rearrange small items in the house such as the order of spices on the spice rack just to see how long it will take for Sovar or myself to notice such things. His "pranks" are harmless but are confounding to me as a parent. It is as if he plays these pranks or riddles just to see if others can figure out a logical solution….and there is_ _ **always**_ _a flawless logical solution. Lady Amanda finds Naruto's behavior to be a source of endless amusement. Unfortunately I have yet to grasp the concept of human humor…._

T'Ara looked at her blonde haired, blue eyed son with no small amount of pride. "Naruto; today is your first day of school. Do your best and try to get along well with the other children. Because of some of your non-Vulcan features I suspect you will have to deal with prejudice on their part though it is not logical. Have a good day my son."

Naruto nodded energetically. "I will be a credit to our family for both you and Father, Mother. I will strive to be the best in my class."

T'Ara walked her son to the same school she attended as a child. After some further words of encouragement from his Mother, Naruto entered the _ShiKhar Primary School_ building to begin his formal education.*** He soon found himself in a classroom with twenty five other children, most of which looked upon him with disdain or confusion. A taller boy marched up to Naruto and said, "I am Arev, son of Aravek. You are and outsider and do not belong here."

Naruto said, "I am Naruto, son of Sovar and T'Ara. I am half Vulcan and am entitled under law to all the rights of a full Vulcan citizen. I was born here in ShiKhar. Your bias is not only illogical, it is unethical."

Arev frowned and was about to say something else but couldn't think of a logical argument. About that time their teacher T'Partha came in. She was in her thirties and carried herself in a stately manner. "I am T'Partha and I will be your basic instructor for the next five years. You will address me as Instructor or Instructor T'Partha. I want each of you to stand up one at a time at your learning stations and introduce yourselves. You may also tell us a fact about yourself. We will all be getting to know each other. Let's start in the front row on the left."

All of the students introduced themselves one by one and shared some very basic information. When Naruto introduced himself he said, "I like riddles." which got a raised eyebrow from his teacher. _She had no idea_ ….

….

Naruto was at his learning station answering test questions like clockwork. He had inherited his Mother's intellect and was glad for it. During the first week of school he had been taunted forty-seven times by his classmates (primarily by the bully Arev) and managed to foil every attempt to get an emotional rise out of him. (Mainly because it pissed them all off). In the end he followed his Mother's personal creed _Clarity of thought before rashness of action_. The little blonde boy loved to learn and soaked up information like a sponge. To his classmates Naruto was a bit of an enigma. He was half Vulcan but he still outscored them all on the tests!

Arev was discussing things with his 'gang' that had formed. Arev was the leader being the biggest and strongest of them all. He was betrothed to the prettiest little girl in class. Her name was T'Lyra and she was a quiet type. She always wore blue robes. There were no other betrothed couples in the class so it was a popular subject to discuss. Naruto was in deep thought. They had eaten lunch and were currently at recess so the children could relax. ' _Once again Arev is glaring at me and trying to think of a way to best me. If he wasn't the biggest one in class none of the others in the class would follow his lead_.' Naruto was playing the strategy game Kal-toh by himself and eventually others got interested in watching Naruto assemble the rods into a perfect sphere.

Arev suddenly kicked the Kal-toh set over sending the little rods flying. "My foot slipped." said the bully. Several students were disappointed that Naruto wasn't able to complete his game.

Naruto said calmly to Arev, "Accidents happen." as he started picking up the pieces. Arev smirked and turned away triumphantly. Naruto's eyes gleamed as he thought to himself, ' _I foresee several accidents happening to you in the near future Arev_.'

….

….Naruto kicked a ball at recess and by " _the most confounding display of physics_ " it ricocheted off several different structures before it hit Arev in the back of the head and made the tall boy face plant hard into the dirt. _That left a bruise_ ….

….Arev's computer at his learning station had the test algorithms switched and he completely failed the math test putting him at the bottom of the class in overall scoring. _That was embarrassing_ ….

….The bully challenged Naruto to a contest of strength and Naruto countered with a contest of Vulcan Chess…. _Unless Arev was too afraid_ ….Arev bragged he could beat Naruto at _any_ challenge….and was subsequently slaughtered so badly that Arev ended up blushing green in shame. _Arev was completely humiliated_ ….

Coincidentally _something_ happened to Arev each day that week that made the other students suspect Arev was simply accident prone….or cursed (as illogical as that seemed).

….

At the end of his third month of school Naruto came limping home to his Mother having been beaten bloody by Arev and his followers. T'Ara was looking forward to seeing her son's first trimester of grades**** and was shocked seeing her son coming home in that condition. She embraced him when he came inside and said, "Naruto, what happened to you my son?!"

Naruto sighed. "It seems my classmates gave into emotionalism and decided to vent their frustrations on me because I am different." The blonde boy scratched the back of his neck. "I need to wash this blood off of me. I'm almost healed anyway."

T'Ara gently stroked her son's soft blonde locks. "I will talk to your Father about this. We will come up with a logical solution." She then helped Naruto wash himself. ' _His wounds would have required hospitalization if Naruto didn't have his healing factor. I will make this right somehow my son_.'

When Sovar got home that night from teaching at the Vulcan Institute for Defensive Arts he found out what happened to Naruto and was furious inside. He spoke privately with his wife, "The logical solution is to train Naruto to defend himself."

T'Ara nodded sadly, "What should we teach him? Your mastery of the arts and mine are completely different disciplines."

"You will teach him V'Shan.*****" said Sovar. "He already knows the basics and the style is much like dancing which he enjoys. He has already studied pressure points as well."

"What will you teach him Sovar?" asked T'Ara. "You know several arts."

Sovar scratched his chin. "Naruto's body type is suited to Kareel-ifla.******"

T'Ara asked, "You would teach him that brutish art? It is so uncivilized."

"It is also very effective." answered her husband. "Consider how much strength he has given his genetics and it would come naturally to him. He is easily twice as strong as your average Vulcan."

"That's because his people's home world had gravity nearly twice that of our own." said T'Ara.

"We won't let our son suffer like this again…." said Sovar as T'Ara nodded in agreement.

….

 **Stardate 2260.001 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

 _Personal Log: After seeing our son's injuries Sovar and I agreed that Naruto should learn to defend himself. As I am always home during the day with Naruto I will teach him V'Shan in the afternoons. On the other hand, Sovar often has to teach late in the day at the Institute so we have agreed that Sovar will take Naruto out to The Forge during his month off from classes and give our son a crash course in the basics of Kareel-ifla. As it is I worry that Sovar will push Naruto too hard so I have issued the appropriate death threats to my dear husband…._

Sovar was up bright and early with his long hair tied back and his traveling robes on hand. "The Forge is a truly wondrous place Naruto. Once you find your center there it gives one's spirit the strongest of anchors to all of Vulcan and its people."

"Are you sure you aren't just trying to avoid Mother's wrath while training me?" asked Naruto as he ate his breakfast.

His Father looked shocked for a split second before he replied, "Think nothing of the sort Naruto. Your Mother agrees with this course of action."

Naruto simply thought, ' _You didn't say_ _ **no**_ _Father_.' "I see. It must be the most logical course of action if Mother agrees."

Sovar sweat dropped. ' _He definitely has T'Ara's intellect_.' "Do not worry my son. This trip will make you stronger both physically and mentally."

….

 **The Forge, three days later** ….

"So this is the place you've told me so much about." said Naruto as he looked out at the arid desert. "There is a feeling of singularity here. I've never felt anything like it."

"That is the feeling of the ancient past my son." said Sovar reverently. "There is no other place like it. Let's set up camp here. We will be training your mind through meditation and your body with the martial arts. The Forge itself will enrich your soul."

….

For the first two weeks Father and son trained hard physically in the cooler hours and trained mentally during the hotter hours of the day. Naruto took to Kareel-ifla like a fish to water just as his Father predicted. The boy pushed himself far harder than Sovar imagined possible but with Naruto's healing factor involved all his sore muscles were fully healed after he rested….But the meditation training wasn't going as well.

Sovar sat across from his son in the lotus position. "Your young mind is too full of thoughts Naruto. You are too smart for your own good sometimes. Let us stop and get some rest for the day."

"How do I empty my mind of thoughts Father?" said Naruto in a frustrated tone.

Sitting for a moment, Sovar said; "When you meditate you free your mind of your body and physical thoughts. You reach deep within for your center and bring it out." Sovar saw his son looking thoughtful and said, "Remember when we first arrived here and you said you felt a singularity?" seeing Naruto nod Sovar said, "Search for that singularity within yourself. Let's go to sleep now."

"May I try to meditate a little longer Father?" asked Naruto.

Sovar raised an eyebrow. ' _That's a first_.' "You may if you wish Naruto but don't stay up too long. Both your body and mind need rest." Sovar went on to sleep lightly until Naruto came to sleep as well….

Naruto had _felt_ that singularity within before. Now it was time to delve deep within himself and grasp it. As the blonde boy sat there he saw images beyond his wildest imagination. He was effortlessly running through a forest and leaping from tree to tree without slowing down. He could run up, down over or even run on the branches upside down! He could even run up a bare cliff face as if it was level ground! That's when Naruto _felt_ it. It was his core. The energy was powerful but calm. It was there; ready to be called upon. All Naruto had to do was reach out and touch it….

Sovar sprang up in alarm. He dozed off waiting for Naruto to come to bed. Opening the tent flap he saw Naruto sitting deep in meditation in the twilight of the evening. ' _Has he done it? But I sense something….something very primal_ ….' thought Sovar.

Suddenly Naruto was surrounded by blue flame and the shockwave of energy Naruto released nearly knocked his Father over. To Sovar it was like the roar of a hungry beast surging forth. Sovar reached to his son and found the flames were cool to the touch. "Naruto!... _Naruto!_... ** _NARUTO!_** " yelled Sovar in fear for his son's life.

Naruto opened his blue eyes and they were aglow with power much to Sovar's shock. Naruto gave his Father a smile in the twilight. His longer than usual canines reflected in the low light and the blonde boy said, "You were right Father, I have found it!" Naruto held his hand up as he admired the blue glow dancing across his skin. "This….this is _chakra!_ "

"Are you in pain?" asked Sovar in a worried tone.

Naruto flexed his fingers before making a fist. "I've never felt better in my life Father. This must be what I've felt in the back of my mind all this time. Wait until you see what I can do with this stuff. I can't wait to tell Mother!"

Sovar cringed. "T'Ara is going to kill me."

….

LONG POSTSCRIPT:

**Naruto has inherited many Vulcan traits from his Mother but physically he appears almost exactly as he did in the Naruto manga/anime. Pretty much add Vulcan ears.

***Vulcans do have preschools but Naruto was kept home by T'Ara and Sovar due to his hybrid background.

****I set up the Vulcan school year as three trimesters comprising of three months and a month of in between. Nothing canon here; I just came up with it based loosely on Japanese schools.

*****V'Shan: It features a comprehensive study of pressure points and their effects on the central nervous system. Some Vulcan children are taught this dance-like fighting art.

******Kareel-ifla: It was created many millennia ago when Vulcan suffered a more violent time in its history. Kareel-ifla is best described as the Vulcan equivalent of Karate and focuses on the quick as well as direct application of force in order to end a fight as quickly as possible. Due to its unsavory origins, it is often considered quite brutish to modern Vulcans. Despite this being the case, practitioners of the art were quite formidable and effective in combat allowing them to fight against such opponents such as Klingons and other powerful foes.

First of all there are way too many asterisks in this chapter but footnotes are necessary sometimes. This sets up the basic premise. Eventually Naruto will join Starfleet and the adventures in space will begin. As I stated earlier, canon Star Trek characters will be making appearances but they won't be central in the story. I doubt that Naruto will end up stationed on the _Enterprise_ but never say never. See you next time. Blue out. 10/24/16


	2. Chapter 2

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter will focus on Naruto's formative years before he starts a profession in particular. Basically (according to Memory Beta) you have primary education from 5 years old up until 13 to 15 when they start a professional track (i.e. college, trade school, etc.). No Starfleet just yet. Here is chapter 2. Enjoy!

Note to those who have asked: Kirk and Spock were already in their twenties when Naruto was born.

Last time:

 _….Sovar sprang up in alarm. He dozed off waiting for Naruto to come to bed. Opening the tent flap he saw Naruto sitting deep in meditation in the twilight of the evening. '_ _Has he done it? But I sense something….something very primal…._ _' thought Sovar._

 _Suddenly Naruto was surrounded by blue flame and the shockwave of energy Naruto released nearly knocked his Father over. To Sovar it was like the roar of a hungry beast surging forth. Sovar reached to his son and found the flames were cool to the touch. "Naruto!..._ _Naruto!..._ _ **NARUTO!**_ _" yelled Sovar in fear for his son's life._

 _Naruto opened his blue eyes and they were aglow with power much to Sovar's shock. Naruto gave his Father a smile in the twilight. His longer than usual canines reflected in the low light and the blonde boy said, "You were right Father, I have found it!" Naruto held his hand up as he admired the blue glow dancing across his skin. "This….this is_ _chakra!_ _"_

 _"Are you in pain?" asked Sovar in a worried tone._

 _Naruto flexed his fingers before making a fist. "I've never felt better in my life Father. This must be what I've felt in the back of my mind all this time. Wait until you see what I can do with this stuff. I can't wait to tell Mother!"_

 _Sovar cringed. "T'Ara is going to kill me."_

Chapter 2

 **Stardate 2260.028 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

 _Personal Log: My husband Sovar and our son Naruto have returned from their month of training. I sensed my son's excitement telepathically all the way from out in The Forge. When they got home I was very pleased to see how much Naruto had grown both physically and mentally during his short trip with Sovar. He explained that he had begun harnessing the power of chakra….Now my young son not only defies logic; he can defy_ _ **gravity**_ _as well. As a scientist I am fascinated by this turn of events. As a Mother I wish my son would quit walking up and down the walls and across the ceiling…._

Sovar, T'Ara and Naruto were sitting down to their morning meal. Sovar looked at his son as Naruto seemingly consumed his own weight in food. "I think our son is getting ready to grow again T'Ara. Wouldn't you agree?"

T'Ara nodded. "It seems you've become quite ravenous of late Naruto. Slow down and chew your food properly. There is plenty more."

"I've just been so hungry and everything tastes so good." said Naruto. "There isn't as much variety out in the desert."

The onyx eyed beauty barely hid her smirk. "Your Father's culinary skills _are_ rather lacking."

Sovar sweat dropped. "I never made the claim that I was an excellent cook even back when we were first introduced."

T'Ara was amused and it showed in her eyes. Naruto noted the affectionate banter between his parents and was enjoying the warmth of having his family together. ' _It seems they missed each other very much while Father and I were out in The Forge. Mother almost smiled there_.' The blonde boy happily continued to demolish his meal and soon thanked T'Ara for the food.

….

 **Stardate 2260.034 ShiKhar Primary School**

A few days later Naruto arrived rather early to Instructor T'Partha's class and sat at his learning station. He was ready for the second session. T'Partha came in and saw her oddest but best scoring student diligently going through the start up protocols at his station and she said to him, "Welcome back young Naruto; it is good to see you are ready to learn."

The blonde boy nodded. "Greetings to you Instructor T'Partha. I am looking forward to the second session of the year. I believe good things will happen."

T'Partha didn't miss the gleam in her student's blue eyes and wondered what that portended. "I do hope you suffer less prejudice this session Naruto. You are an eccentric but a good student. You do not deserve the bias against you."

"Thank you Instructor." said Naruto as his station came online.

The next student in was Arev's betrothed T'Lyra and she went over to speak to Naruto. The cute girl's long brown hair was down and she spoke with concern, "Are you still hurt Naruto? Arev told me he injured you badly."

Naruto looked up from his learning station. ' _This is the first time she's ever addressed me personally. I wonder what Arev said to her to elicit such a reaction_.' He didn't notice that T'Partha was discreetly listening in. "I am fine T'Lyra; I heal very quickly. Besides, it was Arev and his six friends that assaulted me, not just Arev."

The blue wearing girl looked surprised. "But he gave me the impression it was him alone."

"It seems that his ego matters more than the truth to Arev." replied Naruto. "That is shameful."

T'Lyra nodded slowly. "Still, I am glad you are okay. He had no right to hurt you." The pretty, quiet young girl went over to her own learning station and started it up.

As the rest of the class filtered in several peered over at Naruto with questioning looks. ' _Obviously Arev has been bragging to all our classmates. Most of them seem surprised that I'm here_.' thought the blonde crossly.

Arev and his little gang arrived soon and all of them seemed completely shocked that Naruto was there and seemingly unhurt. The bully stormed over. "How is it you are even here?! No one saw you over break so I assumed you left for good."

Naruto said in a flat tone, "I have no idea why you've taken a personal interest in my off time but I went camping in The Forge with my Father two days after you and your friends attacked me."

You could hear a pin drop in the room and T'Partha said sternly, "Arev, is it true you and your group attacked Naruto?"

The bully looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "N-no! I-I mean we didn't…."

T'Partha wouldn't stand for this. "I **_will not_** accept dishonesty in my class young Arev. Your parents will be informed of this and there **_will_** be consequences." She called out to each of the members of Arev's group by name and all of them admitted to attacking Naruto and leaving him beaten bloody.

….All Arev could do was glare hatefully at Naruto with tears of shame and embarrassment in his eyes. _Naruto didn't bat an eyelash_.

….

Over recess Instructor T'Partha asked Naruto what exactly happened and the blonde boy explained. "I did not wish to escalate the situation any further. I told my parents what happened and they are training me to defend myself."

The Instructor nodded to herself. "Then you went camping in The Forge to train your body. I see. That is a very harsh environment to train in Naruto."

"My Father wished to train both my body and mind." said Naruto. "It is a wondrous place for the spirit."

T'Partha looked into Naruto's blue eyes and saw a fire of sheer determination burning in them. "I see that young Naruto. You would be completely within your rights to bring this assault to higher authorities you know."

"Letting Arev suffer the shame of lying to the entire class is enough for me Instructor. It is a worse dishonor than him attacking me in the eyes of others." Naruto's tone of voice was like iron.

Instructor T'Partha looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "That is a logical conclusion Naruto. But _do_ tell me if anything like this happens again. I will not have my students being abused physically or otherwise. It goes against my code of ethics as an Instructor."

….

The seasons came and went as Naruto learned in school. On his seventh birthday he was very disappointed to find he wasn't betrothed unlike other Vulcan children. This was not due to bias; the girl he was to be bonded to died with her parents in a seasonal earthquake. It saddened Naruto. He never met the girl but somehow her death made him feel very empty inside. It also led to him being teased by his meaner classmates that no one would want him as a mate anyway. Naruto grieved for some time before he returned to his normal self. He was told that there was a possibility of forming a new bonding when he took the _kahs-wan_ ** test of maturity in a few years.

….

 **Stardate 2262.289 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto turned eight years old and was looking forward to learning the basics of telepathy, etiquette, calculus and quantum physics. Of course, his Mother T'Ara had been drilling him in etiquette since birth. She adopted the unusual view _that if Naruto was going to play pranks he should be polite about it_. Lady Amanda Grayson thought the concept was hysterical.

The blonde boy was in his back yard with his Father Sovar practicing his Kareel-ifla and his V'Shan which the boy practiced both separately and combined into one fluid martial art. Though purists might be shocked; Sovar found his son's ingenuity and resourcefulness to be outstanding. Combining that with Naruto's far superior strength and aerobatics made the blonde boy an enjoyable sparring partner for his Father. Naruto rarely used visible chakra or jutsus (he learned a few from 'memory') except when they trained more heavily out in The Forge. The blonde hybrid wasn't ready to reveal his hidden abilities to the public just yet….

Naruto was getting ready to charge his Father again when Sovar held up his hand in a ' _stop'_ motion. "It sounds like your Mother is home Naruto. Let's go inside and see her."

The blue eyed boy nodded concerned. He had been worried about T'Ara as she had been to the Doctor twice now. ' _I hope Mother is okay_.' he thought.

When they came inside T'Ara and Sovar touched their middle and forefingers together in a warm greeting and she ruffled Naruto's blonde locks affectionately. "I bring good news." said T'Ara. "We will soon be welcoming a new daughter into our home."

Sovar was immensely pleased and it showed. "This is excellent news. Just as importantly; how are you T'Ara?"

T'ara beamed. "Both the baby and I are fine. She is in perfect health and we are three weeks along." She looked at Naruto. "What do you think my son? Are you looking forward to having a little sister?"

Naruto's blue eyes were big as saucers. "This….This is _awesome!_ Can I teach her calculus? _Can I?_ "

Both of his parents expected and emotional reaction from their son. This was just too big for the blonde boy to contain himself. "I'm sure we'll all have lots to share with her Naruto." said Sovar proudly.

 _The news made Naruto's day_ ….

….

 **ShiKhar Primary School**

"So I am going to be a big brother." said Naruto enthused to some of his classmates while at recess.

He received many polite congratulations on this good news until Arev said, "So she is going to be a _freak_ like you?"

Naruto's blue eyes flashed and he was standing in front of Arev in a split second. No one could follow his movements. He had the head taller Arev's throat in his grasp and pulled the choking boy down to his eye level.

"I _tolerate_ you and your taunting of me Arev." said Naruto in a calm voice cold as death. "If you _ever_ insult my family or my baby sister again I will _bury_ you. Do you understand me?"

The choking lummox could only nod emphatically as his oxygen supply was running out. Naruto nodded once and threw the bully to the ground. He then went indoors to meditate and calm his rage. No one had ever seen Naruto act violent before and basically avoided the subject of Arev and his bruised neck for the rest of the day. Insulting an unborn child was considered rather tasteless by everyone…including T'Lyra.

….

After school Instructor T'Partha was talking with Naruto quietly. "I will accept whatever punishment you see fit Instructor." said Naruto in a subdued tone.

T'Partha shook her head, "I didn't ask you to stay for punishment Naruto. I wanted to make sure that you have calmed down and are all right. My concern is for you; not what you did. Arev's comments were inexcusable and I was going to reprimand him but you already did that….so to speak."

"Some days it is hard to deal with all the insults Instructor." said Naruto sadly. "To insult my baby sister was just too much."

"Do you talk to your parents about these things Naruto?" asked the Instructor kindly.

Naruto nodded. "My Mother and Father are my biggest supporters. They know what happens to me and help me with it."

T'Partha nodded. "You've never made a display of anger before Naruto. Other children have reacted just as badly. Let's just consider this issue closed. Do talk to your parents tonight though. Will you be alright to walk home?"

"I will be fine Instructor T'Partha." said Naruto. "Thank you for caring."

Naruto went home to his Mother and quietly cried with his head in her lap. T'Ara gently soothed her young son and ran her fingers tenderly through his blonde hair until he fell asleep….

….

 **Stardate 2265.289 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, ShiKhar Primary School**

Three years had passed and Naruto was entering his eleventh year of age. He'd spent his morning divided between his studies and his adorable two year old baby sister Talok*** that tended to keep the whole family on the go in the morning as she was an extremely curious child and full of activity at all times. Naruto's class work was rather busy with core logic and definition and the principles of analysis among other heavy subjects. Now he was starting his school day….

"These are your final years of Primary Schooling." said Instructor T'Partha. "In the next two to four years you will all complete your formative training and your formal training for your future careers will begin. The first part of this session we will begin the _kahs-wan_ ritual for those prepared for it. You should speak carefully with your parents before taking this trial. If you do not deem yourself ready then it is logical to wait. You are to inform me and I will submit it to the headmaster for approval."

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house, that evening….**

Naruto was sitting at dinner with his family. "….And therefore it seems logical to me to get the _kahs-wan_ ritual over with as soon as possible." stated Naruto. "I've been spending two or three months a year camping in The Forge with Father for _years_. I'm quite familiar with the area."

T'Ara automatically intercepted some thrown food from her daughter Talok and set it back on the baby's plate. "While I can't refute your argument Naruto; you shouldn't take the _kahs-wan_ so lightly. The Forge isn't a forgiving place and you've always had your Father with you."

"I think he's more than ready." said Sovar. "Naruto is probably as good at foraging in the desert as I am. Like that time he scared off a Le-matya**** with his chakra alone…." Sovar's eyes suddenly got huge and he covered his mouth.

" _Somehow_ I don't think I was ever informed of that _particular_ instance husband of mine." said T'Ara with a frown.

' _Oh, boy_ ….' thought both Father and son as one….

…. _A thorough (and irrefutably logical) tongue lashing later both Sovar and Naruto were sent to bed early….but T'Ara was convinced her son was well prepared for anything The Forge could throw at him during the kahs-wan and she gave her consent_ ….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house, two days later….**

"The game of sublime logic, Poker." said Sovar grandly as he dealt the cards to his wife and son. He immediately put on his poker face (they came naturally to Vulcans) and watched for any signs of T'Ara or Naruto's identical poker faces slipping up. Baby Talok was giggling as she watched from her high chair. _This was family bonding at its best in Naruto's household_ ….

Naruto said, "I'll take two Father." Picking up his two cards and discarding two others, the blonde said; "I have been studying the concept of cheating and sleight-of-hand recently."

T'Ara raised an eyebrow as she looked at her son. "To what purpose Naruto?"

"I'd be interested in knowing as well." said Sovar.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and said, "When humans invented this game with a strict set of rules they invented ways to circumvent those same rules at the same time. It baffles me. There is no discernible logic whatsoever. It is like creating a government that is designed to fail from the outset."

T'Ara explained, "What you are grappling with is the concept of greed my son. Many races play poker with the only goal of material gain by winning. We Vulcans logically play for the pleasure of the game. Some races get very emotional about it. I learned this in Starfleet."

Naruto's eyes widened as his Mother took two cards herself. "Is that why you are so good at playing Mother?"

The onyx eyed beauty said, "No, it is because one of my Doctoral Degrees is in quantum physics. Counting cards is child's play."

Sovar and Naruto sweat dropped and little Talok giggled again….

"Why do we play with her again?" Naruto asked his Father.

Sovar said, "Because it is a pleasure to be repeatedly trounced by a beautiful woman." Seeing Naruto's look of utter disbelief he said, "You'll understand when you are older my son."

T'Ara looked rather pleased with herself….

….

 **Stardate 2265.319 Planet Vulcan, The Forge**

It had been a month since the _kahs-wan_ had been announced and eleven children from Naruto's class had elected to try. Twenty three other children from other classes were there to try as well. It wasn't considered a total disgrace to fail and try again when they felt more mature about themselves so a few of the students were just testing the waters. When Naruto put in his submission first he wasn't surprised to see his rival Arev automatically do the same as well as Arev's six followers. There were also three girls including the quiet T'Lyra. ' _She must be going because her betrothed is_ ….' thought Naruto. Truthfully Naruto didn't think the blue wearing girl looked ready….

The Proctor for the ritual outlined the rules. "You have ten days to survive in The Forge. You have no food, water or weapons so you must forage to survive. You are forbidden from helping one another during your journey. If you find another injured or dead you are to report their position back to the proctors at the end of your ten day survival course. The path you must take is marked on your maps. There are four different paths and each of you will be sent out an hour apart so there will be no interference between participants. There _will_ be casualties. This ritual has been in place since before our enlightening to the ways of logic and is your first step towards adulthood. Do well and succeed."

' _Well, that was less than inspiring_.' thought Naruto. He sat down to await his turn. Naruto was in his sleeveless traditional desert robes like his Father's that he always wore in The Forge.

"Why are you dressed in rags?" asked Arev contemptuously.

Naruto ignored his ' _rival_ ' in favor of meditating. Eventually Arev got bored trying to antagonize Naruto and went over to his group of friends instead. Four hours later, Naruto's name was called. "Naruto, Son of Sovar. Are you prepared?" asked the Proctor.

Naruto took one last drink from the provided canteen and handed it to the Proctor. "I am ready sir." said the blonde.

The Proctor handed Naruto a map and said, "Survive and succeed young one."

Naruto nodded and went on his way….

….

The first day out in The Forge was very routine for the blonde. On Naruto's second day in the desert he sat down to meditate during the hottest hours of the day. Planet Vulcan's blazing sun overhead shot the temperatures up to nearly 150 degrees Fahrenheit and staying in the shade during that time of day was the best way to conserve energy and stay cool. ' _I've been travelling at a steady pace for two days and haven't run into anyone else. Of course, many travel faster than they should so I may not run into anybody. I hope that all survive. I know logically that casualties are inevitable but all life is precious_ ….'

When the sun got lower in the sky Naruto set off again gathering edibles as he travelled along. He thought back to his Father Sovar's teachings in The Forge over the years. " _The Forge is a wondrous place Naruto. Once your spirit becomes one with it you will see life is_ _ **everywhere**_ _in the desert. The desert will provide food, water and shelter as needed. You just have to know where to look for it_."

' _Father was right of course_.' thought the blonde. ' _By staying in the shade of the L-langon mountains it's easy to stay protected from the elements in the mornings and watching for native flora and fauna has become second nature to me_.' As Naruto walked along peacefully he heard a moan that was definitely _not_ an animal. Naruto walked over and looked down in a ravine. He saw one of Arev's followers there. He recognized the boy as Kesh. Kesh was bloodied and it was obvious he'd fallen into the ravine somehow.

Kesh saw Naruto's shadow and looked up. The boy had tears rolling down his cheeks. "N-naruto; it's you….My leg is broken. Am I to die here?"

Naruto couldn't tell if Kesh was crying from fear or pain from the injury. "Stop crying and staunch your wounds to preserve your fluids. Stay where you are. When I finish I will send help for you. Be strong for those who love you." commanded the blonde as he marked Kesh's position on his map.

Kesh hiccupped and nodded. He said, "T-thank you Naruto."

The blonde nodded and went on his way wondering if he would ever see Kesh alive again. "I didn't actually help him; I just encouraged him…." the blue eyed boy muttered to himself….

….

Three days later Naruto opened his eyes in the morning to sounds of a scream in the nearby foothills. He went to investigate and a half hour later he found a girl from another class. She was dead and torn in half at the waist. Le-matyas got her from what Naruto could tell. The blonde boy felt sick inside. He wanted to cry or throw up but either would cause him to lose precious fluids and he couldn't risk dehydration. Naruto gently reached down and closed her eyes. He noticed she had a necklace on and took it off of her to give to her family. It was sad to say but her body would probably be consumed by predators in the next few days so there might not be remains to be found.

Marking the site of the body on his map; Naruto travelled onwards and tried not to think about it….

….

On Naruto's seventh day in the desert he heard a whimper and recognized T'Lyra's voice. Remembering what he'd seen two days ago Naruto shot off in the direction of the noise. He saw T'Lyra with her back against a tree paralyzed in fear. Two large Le-matyas were stalking her and Naruto unleashed a shockwave of killing intent upon them. One of the Le-matyas turned tail and ran but the other roared at him. Naruto gave the creature a chakra enhanced whirlwind kick to the nose to knock it back. While the creature was stunned he said, "Wind style, gale palm!" The big predator was sent tumbling before it whimpered and ran away in fear.

Naruto looked over at T'Lyra and saw she had slid down into a sitting position. She looked dehydrated and fearful. Finally, her breathing slowed down and she said, "Y-you saved me Naruto, how did…." She shook her head to clear it. "I thank you."

The blonde boy looked around and said to no one in particular; "You know, I don't remember saving or helping anybody. There were two Le-matyas in my way and I chased them off. I shouldn't have wandered into the foothills they live in. It's much safer down by the tree line. I guess I'd better had back down in that direction….There are some edible white flowers that really smell bad there. The taste terrible but are very nutritious and have water sacs in the bulbs." He gave one last look at T'Lyra who nodded hesitantly in understanding. He said, "Use your mind and you will overcome the adversities in this place." Then Naruto went on his way. ' _I hope she makes it…_.' he thought worriedly.

….

On the tenth day in The Forge Naruto saw his chief tormentor Arev lying face down, flat on the ground under a tree. The boy wasn't moving and wasn't in a natural sleeping position either. Naruto debated with himself for a few moments until he remembered his Mother T'Ara saying, " _You will learn that all lives are precious, even those of your enemies_."

Naruto sighed. "Technically Arev isn't my enemy even if I dislike him greatly." He thought aloud. Naruto went over and saw Arev wasn't dead; the larger boy was dried out. ' _The dumb lummox tried to hurry and got himself dehydrated in the process."_ thought the blonde with a frown _. "He'll live if I report his position_.' Naruto marked the spot on his map and continued on his way.

Several hours later Naruto made it back to the starting point feeling exhausted. Seeing the one girl had died and having to leave three others alone in the desert had been truly taxing on the blonde boy. Logic told him he did everything he could for the others because of the rules of the test but his conscience still nagged at him. Naruto had a meal provided and lots of water but mentally he was completely worn out. He gave his reports on everyone's locations except T'Lyra's who he never mentioned. He also gave the necklace he recovered to the Proctors. Naruto was going to meditate and wait up but he dozed off in the shelter provided by the Proctors. His personal _kahs-wan_ journey was complete. All there was now was to wait for news of the others….

….

When Naruto awoke he heard T'Lyra's exhausted voice as she spoke with a Proctor. "I was fortunate that I overheard someone saying those flowers are edible though they taste so foul. It probably saved my life."

The Proctor said, "It is an old desert journeyman's trick. Most are so repelled by the smell that they stay away from them. It is a natural defense of that plant. You are most fortunate indeed young one."

Naruto stepped out of the sleeping tent into the main area where food was provided and saw T'Lyra eating ravenously along with many other children in various states of exhaustion. Her normally vibrant blue robes were a mess. The blonde went over to the head Proctor and asked, "If I may ask sir, were the injured ones I reported on rescued?"

The old Proctor had a gleam in his eye. "Thanks to your diligence they were both found and were taken back to the city for medical treatment. Tell me Son of Sovar; your maps to them were extraordinarily well detailed. We would never have found young Kesh if you hadn't listed the precise elevation. Are you familiar with the lay of the land?" he asked knowingly.

The blonde nodded. "My Father has taken me camping at least twice a year in The Forge since I was five years old. It is a wondrous place."

The Proctor raised an eyebrow and then said, "Indeed it is young one; indeed it is."

….

 **The next day** ….

"Of the thirty-four who tried, twenty-six passed, five failed to complete the ritual and three died." said the Proctor. "Our casualties were high this time but The Forge is an unforgiving place for those that do not know the ways of the desert. All twenty-six of you here have done well and have taken the first steps into adulthood. You families will be proud. The five who failed are in the ShiKhar City Hospital recovering. The three who perished have been recovered and their families have been notified. Live long and prosper young ones."

The children answered with "Live long and prosper." and were soon on a transport back to the city….

….

 **Stardate 2265.331, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

T'Ara and Sovar welcomed their relatives into their home to celebrate Naruto's passage into adulthood. Terrifyingly for Naruto (and his parents), _all_ of his cousins and Aunts and Uncles suddenly considered him part of the family. All of the blonde boy's relatives outside of his nuclear family always kept Naruto at arm's length because he was a hybrid but now they all seemed to embrace him and brought him many gifts. Even his Paternal Grandmother Varek seemed enthused about the _kahs-wan_ ritual and she didn't want to consider Naruto related to her in _any_ way previously. As the festivities went on Naruto chakra hopped up to the roof of the house to meditate in peace. He didn't want to make waves but the behavior of his kin was highly irritating and hypocritical in his mind.

' _Father's Mother Varek actually told me to address her as_ _ **Grandmother**_ _!_ ' Naruto thought angrily. ' _I calculated the odds of a meteor striking my home to happen before that would. Everyone is being so kind and welcoming that I want to move to Andor_ ….'

Down in the house T'Ara and Sovar felt much the same way as their son did but were focusing on being gracious hosts rather than ruffling any feathers. They both knew where Naruto was and didn't say anything. Neither of them appreciated the two faced behavior of their families either.

"Where is that _grandson_ of mine?" asked the ever chatty Varek. "We need to discuss his future place in the clan and his choice of profession."

Sovar bit his tongue and thought, ' _Since when have you considered Naruto_ _ **family**_ _Mother?_ ' "I believe he stepped out for some fresh air Mother."

"Hmmm….Well, the family always has been adept at being merchants." pondered Varek aloud. "I can think of two cousins in the family that are close to his age and unbonded…."

"I do not believe matchmaking is logical or appropriate at this juncture Mother Varek." said T'Ara. "I also have no idea which cousins you are referring to."

"I was referring to Metana or Zerin my dear." said Varek. "Zerin in particular is so radiant. Besides, she lives close by in the Artisan Quarter of ShiKhar."

T'Ara said, "That child will judge everything in aesthetics if she is anything like her artist parents. She will be too shallow to see Naruto for who he is."

"Nonsense." scoffed Varek. "Zerin has never even laid eyes upon Naruto. As artistic as she is, Zerin might be captivated by his lovely blue eyes alone. They are both unbonded and the same age. We should arrange for them to meet."

"They seem like an unsuitable match Mother." said Sovar.

Varek asked, "Then what about Metana in Vulcana Regar? She's a lovely child of twelve years of age…."

….

 **Later that night** ….

After Naruto came down and bid all of his relatives the appropriate farewells and thanked them for their gifts; he said to his parents, "I believe that my _kahs-wan_ was far easier than dealing with a bunch of ' _relatives'_ that I've never met before."

Sovar nodded. "It was stressful for all of us Naruto. Your Mother and I think that the way you've been treated as an outsider all these years is very wrong. It is shameful the way they have treated you; their own blood."

"I am in total agreement with your Father." said T'Ara as she rocked little Talok gently in her arms. "Both sides of the family are looking into potential mates for you so we will have to tread carefully."

"Is it too late to move to Andor, Mother?" asked the stressed out Naruto.

"You are truly my son." said T'Ara with amusement in her onyx eyes. She yawned. "Our home is a mess. Tomorrow we will all be at home so we can clean this place up. I am simply too tired to stay up all night after that mob."

….

The next morning was a busy one for Naruto's family. They basically cleaned and straightened the house back to normal standards after an early breakfast. Around noon everything was as it should be and little Talok was taking a nap in her Mother's arms. T'Ara heard a knock on their front door and said, "Naruto, will you get the door please? Talok is asleep."

Naruto got up and went to the door. To his surprise it was T'Lyra. She said bashfully, "Naruto, I am glad you are home. Do you have time to visit?"

The blonde hadn't ever had a classmate come over before and was a bit stunned to have any sort of personal company. "Um, certainly. Please come in." he turned to T'Ara and said, "Mother, I have a guest from my class at school."

T'Ara looked over and saw a very lovely young Vulcan girl with her brown hair tied back in a braid. She was wearing the blue robes of the old dynastic clan. The girl bowed formally and said, "Hello I am T'Lyra of the Tolaris Clan. Thank you for inviting me into your home."

Naruto's Mother said, "I welcome you T'Lyra, I am T'Ara of the M'Fau Clan."

"Ah, I did not realize you are of the M'Fau Clan Naruto." said T'Lyra. Her eyes glittered. "How fascinating. Your noble ancestors rode dzharels***** across the plains in ancient times."

"And you are descended of the Honorable Blue Dynasty." said Naruto. "I realized you favored blue robes; now I know why. Please come in and I'll make some tea for us. Mother, would you like some?"

"No, I already have water Naruto." said T'Ara. "Go ahead and spend some time with your friend." ' _He seems very shocked she is here. Of course, Naruto has **never** invited a friend over_.'

Naruto soon served his guest some hot tea and said, "I was not expecting company or I would have been better prepared for a guest." ' _I've never even_ _ **had**_ _a guest before_.'

"It is all right; I wanted to thank you for your advice. I think it is safe to say you saved my life Naruto." T'Lyra was beaming at this point.

"You are welcome." said Naruto. "But I was only talking to myself."

T'Lyra hid a small smile behind her teacup. "Of course you were Naruto."

"Did Arev make it out of the hospital yet?" asked Naruto.

T'Lyra frowned ever so slightly. "Arev gave into emotionalism when he found out he failed the _kahs-wan_. He was absolutely furious at me for completing it when he didn't and grew enraged when he found out you saved his life. I cannot bear to be around him at this point."

"I am very sorry to hear that." said Naruto. ' _Someone should smack that creep_.' "His actions towards you are unacceptable. He should have been proud of you and congratulated you for passing the _kahs-wan_."

The brown haired girl said pointedly, "He _should_ consider you a great friend for _saving his life_." Her dark brown eyes flashed with emotion. "Arev behaves like an infant. I no longer wish to be with him. This is the final insult he has heaped upon me." Naruto's eyebrows raised is surprise at her declaration and T'Lyra said, "I also spoke to Kesh. "He is eternally grateful for your efforts. Kesh told me he had given up but you inspired him to stay strong and survive. He said from now on he wishes to be a great friend to you and how wrong he was about you in the past. _That_ is how Arev should have acted."

"I will have to visit Kesh and see about his recovery then." said Naruto. ' _I'd best not even mention Arev again_ ….'

T'Lyra nodded in approval. "I think that is an excellent idea Naruto. I believe Kesh would truly appreciate a visit from you." She paused and looked into her teacup before she looked back up at Naruto hopefully. "If you like we could visit him together….perhaps tomorrow morning? I could come over and meet you here."

Naruto said, "I think that would be all right. Let me check with my Mother."

T'Ara had been quietly listening to her son's conversation while she rested her eyes and Talok slept. ' _This girl wishes to get out of a betrothal….And she seems to have eyes for my son instead. I wonder how he saved her life….?_ '

Naruto came into the front room and quietly asked if he could visit another classmate at the hospital the next morning.

T'Ara gave her consent and T'Lyra seemed immensely pleased. The brown haired girl soon bid both of them farewell and left with a spring in her step.

Naruto thought to himself, ' _I wonder what tomorrow will bring_ ….'

….

POSTSCRIPT:

** _Kahs-wan_ maturity test which is a survival ritual that dates from before the time of Surak. It consisted of ten days without food, water or weapons. Those who survive it take their first step into adulthood. It involves a trial into the desert where the Vulcan child is expected to survive in order to be considered an adult. The rules of this maturity test meant that it is a test of individual survival and as such, teamwork is forbidden. Those children that are wounded and discovered by another are left until the _kahs-wan_ student returned home at the end of the survival course where they would report the dangers faced by the other student. Due to the nature of the rite, there are always casualties faced by those that participate in the _kahs-wan_. This left some eleven year olds unbonded and tradition allowed this to be the case. Following a suitable period of mourning, it is deemed appropriate by those families who had been widowed by the death of a mate at Vulcan's Forge to approach each other in order to partake in a new bonding.

***Talok means "Precious" in Vulcan

****Le-matya is a large predatory beast, bearing poisonous claws, native to the planet Vulcan. Le-matyas were known to live in the foothills of the L-langon Mountains along Vulcan's Forge. Looks like a green and yellow tiger like cat.

*****Dzharel, a Vulcan horse like species.

Damn, there are _still_ too many footnotes for my liking. There is just a huge amount of stuff out there on Vulcan Culture. Next chapter is called _The Dating Game_. See you next time. Blue out. 10/26/16


	3. Chapter 3

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is based on _The Original Series_. It has _nothing_ to do with the recent reboot movies.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: This chapter brings us up to the beginning of Star Trek (TOS). Here is a timeline:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2110. = 2110 = Y000 First Contact between Earth and Vulcans

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 James T. Kirk Born

Stardate 2336. = 2336 = Y126 Constitution Class Cruisers Launched

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 U.S.S. Republic NCC-1371 Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2265.-2270. = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 U.S.S. Enterprise 5 year Mission (TOS)

Aside of that we will see the first Naruto characters introduced this chapter that will eventually be regular members of the cast. Here is Chapter 3. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _T'Lyra said, "I also spoke to Kesh. "He is eternally grateful for your efforts. Kesh told me he had given up but you inspired him to stay strong and survive. He said from now on he wishes to be a great friend to you and how wrong he was about you in the past._ _That_ _is how Arev should have acted."_

 _"I will have to visit Kesh and see about his recovery then." said Naruto._ ' _I'd best not even mention Arev again_ ….'

 _T'Lyra nodded in approval. "I think that is an excellent idea Naruto. I believe Kesh would truly appreciate a visit from you." She paused and looked into her teacup before she looked back up at Naruto hopefully. "If you like we could visit him together….perhaps tomorrow morning? I could come over and meet you here."_

 _Naruto said, "I think that would be all right. Let me check with my Mother."_

 _T'Ara had been quietly listening to her son's conversation while she rested her eyes and Talok slept. '_ _This girl wishes to get out of a betrothal….And she seems to have eyes for my son instead. I wonder how he saved her life….?_ _'_

 _Naruto came into the front room and quietly asked if he could visit another classmate at the hospital the next morning._

 _T'Ara gave her consent and T'Lyra seemed immensely pleased. The brown haired girl soon bid both of them farewell and left with a spring in her step._

 _Naruto thought to himself, '_ _I wonder what tomorrow will bring…._ _'_

Chapter 3

 **Stardate 2265.331 Planet Earth, City of Mojave, California, United States**

In the dry heat of the Mojave Desert; a pair of high school teenagers was walking in between classes on their campus and were complaining about the excessive heat. "God damn, I'm going to die here." said a tall boy. As the two moved along they saw another of their number running around the school track grounds in the blazing heat as if it was nothing. She was wearing a tee-shirt and cut off denim shorts that showed off her curvaceous figure very nicely. The boy said "Mmmm….look at Shizuka today. She's better for me than air conditioning."

"How does she do that in this heat Mark?" asked a blonde girl.

The now named Mark said lecherously, "I don't know Leah. OH! You mean totally rock those shorts? What a body she's got under that-!"

"Shut up dumbass." growled Leah. "Hey Shizuka! Over here!" waved the blonde girl.

Shizuka waved and ran over to the others. "Hi guys, how's it going?" She shook out her pony tail a bit. Her hair was jet black that contrasted with her intense green eyes and fair skin. "I was just getting in my laps."

Leah said, "We're dying of heat stroke and you aren't even sweating. How does that work?"

Shizuka laughed and said, "You know I don't have sweat glands, I'm a Vulcan remember?" She motioned to her pointed ears and grinned. "You haven't forgotten again have you?"

Leah sighed, "You don't _act_ like a Vulcan. You're pretty damned illogical if you ask me."

"I was adopted virtually at birth by my human parents." said Shizuka with a shrug. "What the hell do you expect?"

Mark said with a grin, "I don't know any Vulcan chicks as sexy as you Shizuka."

Shizuka said in a flat tone, "You don't know _any_ other Vulcans period. You really need to get a life Mark. Your pick up lines are getting even worse."

Leah laughed and Mark pouted. The three headed off to class and Leah asked, "What's with you exercising so much more recently Shizuka? You've already got a great body."

Shizuka said seriously, "We're going to be seventeen and I'll graduate high school this next spring. I need to be in top shape if I'm going into Starfleet. My old man was in for years and loved it. I want to see the stars. You should join early too Leah. You've got the brains for it but you need to work out more. They've got a great medical program and I know you want to study medicine."

"My parents would never give me permission to join the military a year early….if at all." said Leah.

"What about me Shizuka?" asked Mark. "Think I could Captain a ship?"

"You'd never make it." said the green eyed beauty. "You have to have a brain to get into Starfleet. Stick with farming."

Mark cried, "So mean!" and the two girls laughed….

….

 **Stardate 2265.332 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

 _Personal Log: It seems that my eleven year old son Naruto has ended up in a highly unlikely situation. As his Mother I am baffled. Now that he has passed his kahs-wan my unbonded son has a bonded girl in his class interested in him. There are also arrangements being made to meet **four** of his cousins from either side of the family. I am beginning to believe Naruto's idea of moving to Andor is a highly logical solution…. _

T'Ara looked over at her son as he looked nonplussed at the pile of gifts that he received from various family members the previous night. They were all wrapped nicely but the only gift he had opened was the one he got from T'Ara, Sovar and Talok. It was an antique tome of some of the treatises of Surak who brought the philosophy of logic to Vulcan. Naruto had always wanted a copy and was very pleased with his gift. The rest Naruto set aside for later (actually the blonde was considering boxing them up to dispose of them but that would be considered rather crass so he scrapped that idea for his parent's sake).

Seeing her son was preoccupied T'Ara said, "So tell me about this young T'Lyra and how you saved her life."

"She is a longtime classmate of mine. I chased off a couple of Le-matyas that happened to be in my path and then thought a couple of things aloud." said Naruto. "These actions may have inadvertently helped T'Lyra in her _kahs-wan_ trial."

T'Ara said, "I don't supposes those Le-matyas were endangering her person were they?"

"They were coincidentally in her proximity." admitted Naruto in a low tone of voice.

"I am very proud of you my son." said T'Ara in a pleased tone.

Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. His Mother said, "Logically whether you _intentionally_ saved her life or not is a matter of perspective. You did well to _coincidentally_ help your friend without breaking the rules of the ritual. Young T'Lyra is obviously very pleased and thankful as well."

The blonde blushed ever so slightly in embarrassment and said. "I had best get prepared to go on my trip to see my classmate Kesh at the hospital."

Sovar poked his head around the corner after Naruto went to his room and said, "It seems our son can't help himself when it comes to helping others."

T'Ara looked over at her husband warmly and said, "That indeed seems to be the case."

….

 **Stardate 2265.332 Planet Trialis IV, Trialis System**

 _Ship's Log: NCC-1705 U.S.S. Excalibur is entering the Trialis system following a distress call from the Planet Trialis IV. The SOS was picked up by the civilian liner SS Sunrise outside the system and was relayed to us via Starfleet Command. Trialis IV is a Class M world with a chequered past. The Trialis system exists in the territory known as the Borderlands near the Klingon/Federation border. Though it is habitable the planet has never been formally colonized by the Federation in order to avoid conflict with our Klingon neighbors. It is mainly known as an occasional hideout for Orion Pirates and also was historically known as a home for a group of genetically augmented humans raised by Doctor Arik Soong some one hundred years ago in the mid 2100's. What this distress signal could mean is ominous at best so Starfleet Command reasoned that sending the nearest Command Cruiser Excalibur was an appropriate measure_ ….

Commodore Eric Grayson looked at the main view screen on the bridge showing the seemingly peaceful green planet Trialis IV. The _Excalibur_ had carefully scanned the area and was at condition yellow with the shields up and phasers armed in case of possible hostiles such as pirates or even Klingons. Once they settled into orbit, other than a steady but low powered SOS from the surface nothing out of the ordinary was noted.

Chief Science Officer Mikhail Dreyfus looked up from his scanner. "The origin of the distress call is the base that Doctor Arik Soong was known to have used when raising up the stolen Augment Children from the Eugenics Wars on Earth centuries ago."

Grayson winced having done some papers on the war about Khan Noonien Singh during his Academy days. Genetically engineered humans or 'Augments' as they were known were incredibly bad news.

"Shall we answer the distress call sir?" asked the Communications Officer Sandra Talbut. She looked perplexed at the Commodore's hesitation.

"Make it so Lieutenant Talbut." said Grayson warily. "In the meantime scan Soong's old facility for life forms Commander Dreyfus. I'm not opening Pandora's box if I can help it."

Talbut focused in on the SOS and made several attempts at replying before she got a response. Her eyes suddenly widened and Grayson said, "What is it Sandy?"

"It's a young girl." said Talbut. "I don't think she's even a teenager yet."

Grayson looked puzzled and Deyfus said, "I've confirmed a single humanoid life form in the facility. That's all."

"Put her on screen." said Grayson.

A beautiful child with long blond hair and ice blue eyes appeared on the screen. She said very seriously, "Have you come to rescue me from this place? I am the only one left."

"I'm Commodore Eric Grayson of the _U.S.S. Excalibur_." said the Commodore. "How did you end up there child? That was a place that the Augments lived in a century ago."

The girl raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that what you call us? It has been a year since the Elders died out. They forbade me to leave this place but I am tired of living alone."

"Are you saying you are a genetically engineered human?" asked Grayson. "How old are you?"

"Yes, I am a product of superior genetic engineering." said the girl. "I am eleven years old. My name is Samui."

Grayson looked into the beautiful little girl's icy blue eyes and wondered if he should rescue her or fire phasers and destroy her from orbit. He saw images of ancient wars flash through his mind before he quashed the thought. "You are all alone then."

"I am the last of my kind." said Samui emotionlessly. "I want to go to Earth and see where my ancestors were born."

"I will send some people down to pick you up Samui." said Grayson to the relief of his crew.

"Cool." said Samui.

"Cool?" asked the Commodore.

"Yes, _cool_." affirmed Samui. "I'll pack my stuff. Later." The screen went blank.

"What does the temperature have to do with anything?" asked Mikhail to no one in particular.

"She was giving her approval at the Commodore's decision Commander Dreyfus." said Lieutenant Talbut. " _Cool_ is a 20th century Earth phrase for something attractive or impressive. Strangely _hot_ means the same thing." Seeing the confusion on her fellow crewmember's faces, Sandra added, "I'm not making this up. I learned that while watching old films from that era."

….

 **Stardate 2265.332 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto answered the door and saw T'Lyra standing there basically beaming. "Good morning Naruto." said the blue wearing girl. "Are you ready to go?"

"I was just getting my sandals. Please come in for a moment and I'll get them."

T'Ara and Sovar exchanged proper greetings with T'Lyra and Sovar gave Naruto some money. "Why don't you and young T'Lyra have a meal together while you are out? Surely you will get hungry."

Naruto bowed slightly. "Thank you Father. We will do that."

T'Lyra led Naruto along as he rarely went out into the city by himself. He'd never actually been to the hospital except for regular checkups. "I hope this place doesn't hold bad memories for you." said T'Lyra in a concerned tone. "I remember how Arev and the others hurt you badly when we were little."

Naruto said, "It is of no concern, I've never been to the hospital for anything that wasn't routine. Mother makes sure I get a physical checkup twice a year. Thank you for your concern though."

T'Lyra's eyes widened. "But I was told you were beaten bloody. Didn't you go to the hospital?"

The blonde replied, "I heal very fast because of my hybrid nature. I was completely well by the next morning."

T'Lyra looked at him in disbelief though she said nothing. Naruto said, "Let me demonstrate. It will be far easier to understand then."

"What do you mean?" asked T'Lyra as Naruto pulled out a small utility tool with a knife folded up in it.

Naruto said. "It is very simple. I will nick my finger with a blade and it will heal quickly. Just watch carefully."

She said, "Wait, you don't have to-" Naruto nicked his thumb before she could say any more and she panicked as his green lifeblood dripped to the ground. "Naruto you shouldn't-"

"Just watch my thumb T'Lyra." said Naruto.

T'Lyra was baffled as the small wound healed before her eyes. Naruto wiped the blood off of his thumb and showed her the unblemished skin much to her astonishment. "So as you can see; I heal _very_ quickly." said Naruto.

The brown haired girl simply stared for a moment before she felt his thumb and saw it was indeed completely healed. "That is amazing Naruto. I-I had no idea."

Naruto had a bit of amusement in his blue eyes. "Let's just keep it our little secret; otherwise _everyone_ would want a demonstration."

Her dark brown eyes widened and then she said. "That is a most logical conclusion Naruto; your secret is safe with me."

Naruto nodded and the pair proceeded to the hospital….

….

 **City of ShiKhar, Old Quarter**

Naruto and T'Lyra went through the Old Quarter and saw many tourists admiring the ancient architecture there. A human woman cooed, "What an adorable little couple in native robes! Can I take your picture?"

The blonde looked at the woman flatly as if to say " _Really?_ " and T'Lyra kind of hid behind him. Naruto said, "Forgive us Ma'am but we are rather busy. Perhaps another time."

As they left the disappointed woman behind T'Lyra whispered, "How rude. Don't tourists have other things to take pictures of?"

"I was told it was the nature of offworld tourists to impose upon others." said Naruto. "They give one a bad impression. That's the first time I've met a human that wasn't a scientist."

T'Lyra perked up and asked, "Why would you have met human scientists Naruto?"

The blonde replied, "Mmmm. Well; my Mother is a graduate of the Vulcan Science Academy and holds three doctorates so scientists of various races often seek out her opinions. She still actively writes manuscripts for the Academy and other publications such as the Federation Starfleet Scientific Journal"

"She has three doctorates?" asked T'Lyra in amazement. "No wonder you are so smart Naruto." Then the girl asked, "Why would your Mother write for a military journal?"

"Mother is a Starfleet Naval Reservist that holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander." said Naruto proudly. "She was the Chief Science Officer on three different vessels in Starfleet. They often contact her to further their scientific knowledge."

"Is your Father in Starfleet as well?" asked the pretty brown haired girl.

Naruto shook his head. "Father prefers to keep his feet firmly planted on Vulcan. He is a teacher at the Vulcan Institute for Defensive Arts."

"Then that is why you were able to defeat those Le-matyas." said T'Lyra in realization. "You are amazing Naruto."

Naruto blushed slightly. "My _parents_ are amazing, I'm not. What do your parents do T'Lyra?"

"My Mother and Father both hold public offices…." said T'Lyra nonplussed.

"Well, I'm sure they help shape our society in a productive way." said Naruto.

"I'm sure they do…." said the blue wearing girl. ' _How embarrassing….Father is in charge of sidewalk repair in the Artisan Quarter and Mother is in the committee for museum fundraising_ ….'

Fortunately T'Lyra hid her distress fairly well and she changed subjects to Kesh's recovery….

….

 **ShiKhar Hospital**

Naruto and T'Lyra signed in at the front desk at the hospital and quietly went up to the room on the second floor that Kesh was staying in. The hospital staff noted the rather incongruous pair of the traditionally beautiful young T'Lyra and the blond, spiky haired Naruto with his whisker marks. No one said anything but several people obviously wondered. T'Lyra said quietly, "Why are people staring?"

Naruto said easily, "They are puzzled by my hybrid appearance. It is normal so do not trouble yourself."

The blue wearing girl looked uneasy at Naruto's open acceptance of such treatment but finally nodded and led him along to the room Kesh was staying in. She ran her fingers over the door chime and they heard Kesh ask, "Who is it?" in a tired tone.

T'Lyra poked her head in the room and said, "It's T'Lyra and Naruto, Kesh. Are you up to having visitors?"

Kesh perked up and said. "Oh! Yes, please enter T'Lyra." They came in and Kesh looked worn out and sunburned but was obviously pleased to see them. "I bid you both welcome. Thank you for coming. Naruto, it is good to see you again."

Naruto nodded and said, "It is good to see you alive and well. I feared we would not meet again."

Kesh said, "The only reason I am here is because of your words Naruto. Please feel free to sit."

Naruto and T'Lyra both sat and got themselves and Kesh some tea out of the food replicator in the room. T'Lyra said, "This is surprisingly good for tea out of a replicator."

"I always prefer mine home brewed." said Naruto. "Tell me Kesh; how goes your recovery? I wasn't able to help you like I wanted and I didn't see the full extent of your injuries."

Kesh sighed. "The leg bone is fully repaired but it will be another week before all the muscles are healed. I also am being treated for bad sunburn."

"It is to be expected." said Naruto. "At midday the sun in The Forge is fearsome. That is why one should wear loose robes that can easily put on or removed."

"Is that why you had those old traveler's clothes Naruto?" asked Kesh. "Arev said you were wearing rags and I wondered why."

Naruto had amusement in his blue eyes. "The traditional traveling robes are far superior to modern clothing in the desert. They are eminently practical and have served our people well for millennia. Our ancestors designed them for the most inhospitable of conditions. They were wise so it is logical the follow their example."

"You seem to know a lot about the desert Naruto." said T'Lyra. "You were able to help both Kesh and I to survive with your knowledge of the area."

"More importantly you gave me the will to endure for my family's sake." said Kesh. "Naruto, you lent me your strength when I was weakest. You will always a great friend to me."

Naruto shook his head. "I thank you but I only did what was right. I wanted to do more but the rules of the _kahs-wan_ stayed my hand. I'm sure others would have done the same."

"But they didn't…." said Kesh in a hurt tone.

T'Lyra cocked her head to the side and said, "What do you mean Kesh?"

"Arev and a girl I did not know both saw me injured and said nothing." said Kesh. "Arev just shook his head and left me for dead. I thought he was my friend." He looked at Naruto. "When you came along you spoke words of encouragement and advised me to conserve my water. You saved my life even though I treated you so poorly over the years."

"I wasn't aware that Arev did this to you Kesh." said T'Lyra with an angry frown. Both Kesh and Naruto were surprised to see such anger roiling off of the gentle and quiet girl.

"I am sorry to hear this as well." said Naruto to Kesh as he nervously glanced over at T'Lyra. ' _I'm at ground zero here_.' thought the blonde concerned….

….

Once T'Lyra calmed herself she and Naruto bid their well wishes to Kesh and went to have a meal in the Old Quarter. T'Lyra returned to her pleasant demeanor and they enjoyed some kleetanta with forati sauce with a side of ulan soup. All in all they had a nice time and it seemed that Naruto had new friends in T'Lyra and in Kesh….

….

 **Stardate 2265.336 Planet Earth, City of Mojave, California, United States**

Shizuka Nadeshiko was at home with her 43 year old Father Keichi Nadeshiko. He was a big and burly retired Starfleet Marine and had taught his daughter martial arts since she was old enough the walk. "That's my girl!" he said enthusiastically as Shizuka nimbly avoided a grappling move. Shizuka started out with karate and judo when she was little but as the years went by she found that learning virtually any fighting style came naturally to her. Shizuka's Mother Seiko was a 37 year old interior decorator and very feminine. She walked into the family gym and saw her daughter none to gently flip her Father onto the sparring mat as he laughed.

Keichi and Seiko were still newlyweds when two dear Vulcan friends of Keichi from Starfleet died in an accident leaving their baby daughter all alone. Keichi couldn't even pronounce the baby's Golic Vulcan name and since the newborn child had no family to take her in the young Nadeshiko couple adopted the baby girl as their own and named her Shizuka. They were immensely proud of their child but there were times that Seiko wished her tomboy of a daughter would be a little more feminine. ' _I feel like we've raised a fine son_ ….' thought Seiko dourly. "If you two are done beating each other up; dinner will be ready in 45 minutes so clean up." said the petite woman.

"Okay Mom!/Yes dear." The two fighters answered….

The family was soon enjoying some barbeque ribs with all the extras. "Man, I wish I could cook like you Mom!" said Shizuka as she refilled her plate.

Seiko smiled. "You might be able to if you applied yourself. You've accomplished everything else you've ever put your mind to. Then again, your Dad couldn't cook if his life depended on it. I think you inherited that trait." Seiko looked at the food rapidly disappearing. "I think you've inherited your Dad's appetite too."

Shizuka blushed slightly. "Sorry Mom, I've just been burning so many calories exercising lately that I'm always hungry."

Keichi said, "You're still young. You can burn it off Shizuka. How did your Starfleet Academy pretests go?"

"I've wanted to know that too Shizuka." said Seiko. "You know I'm not too fond of you joining the military but at least you have the ambition to be an officer unlike your Dad." Keichi playfully stuck out his tongue at his wife who promptly returned the gesture.

"I'm supposed to get my test results by tonight." said Shizuka. "I haven't checked my messages on my tablet since I got home. Let me go get it." The Vulcan girl darted back to her room.

"Shizuka not checking her messages? That's a shocker." quipped Keichi.

"I believe she was locked in mortal combat with you dear." commented Seiko.

"Mmmm; good point." answered Keichi.

"I got it!" called Shizuka enthusiastically as she came back from her room.

"Well what does it say daughter of mine?" asked Keichi.

"Let me open it." said Shizuka as she sat down at the table with her tablet. After a confirmation scan of her retina Shizuka was given access to her test results. She frowned and said, "Damn it…."

"What's your score?!" asked her Father excitedly.

"I was seventh." said Shizuka. "I wanted to be first."

Seiko sweat dropped. "You were seventh out of _how many_ Shizuka?"

"I was seventh out of one thousand." said Shizuka in a disappointed tone.

Keichi looked a bit baffled. "Baby girl, you're in the _top one percent_ of one thousand applicants and you're _disappointed?!_ "

Shizuka frowned and her eyes narrowed. "They'll cut the number in half on the next test. I'll do better next time."

Her Mother smiled gently. "You always have been a perfectionist child of mine…."

….

 **Stardate 2265.338 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

It was a peaceful morning and Naruto was enjoying his weekend. The blonde was reading to his baby sister Talok as she sat in his lap. That was when he heard the rather loud voice of his Father's Mother Varek and thought, ' _Gods what is she doing here?_ ' He decided to ignore the noise and go back to reading to his little sister….

….

 **Front room**

"So where is my _favorite_ Grandson hiding Sovar?" asked Varek in her usual chatty tone. "We've made all the arrangements to go over to the Artisan Quarter so young Naruto can be introduced to his lovely cousin Zerin today. She's very eager to meet him."

"Who is ' _we_ ' Mother Varek?" asked T'Ara curtly. "I don't recall Sovar or myself being involved in these ' _arrangements_ ' you've described."

"Why, myself and Sovar's dear cousin Taurik and his lovely wife Elonat did." said Varek emphatically. "Little Zerin is very optimistic about this meeting. Surely you wouldn't want to disappoint her."

T'Ara said flatly, "Disappointment is a part of life." ' _I don't want my son_ _ **near**_ _that lot of eccentrics_.' she thought protectively.

"Now don't be that way T'Ara." said Varek. "It's been years since we all got together hasn't it Sovar?"

"Taurik has never been the most logical of my cousins." said Sovar. "Last I heard from him he was far more interested in his….pastimes than anything else."

Varek scoffed. "You know Taurik and Elonat are so artistic that they cannot help themselves when the creative spirit touches them. Zerin is looking for her own muse. -That could be our young Naruto." added Varek enthused.

"They are an illogical match." said T'Ara.

Sovar nodded. "I must agree with T'Ara Mother."

"Are you trying to cause a rift in the family Sovar?" asked Varek. "You know how hard it is to work into Taurik's schedule it is and I've done so much work to arrange this. It's clearly logical to follow through for Naruto's sake. Zerin could be just what he needs in his life. Besides, the poor boy has never been bonded and you told me how disappointed he was all those years ago."

T'Ara sighed. She knew that Sovar was going to cave in because he always tried to avoid making waves with his family….Worse yet, Varek was trying to play on his guilt over the failed bonding arrangements for Naruto all those years ago…. ' _Poor Sovar. My husband is too kindhearted for his own good_ …. _It's truly a shame I don't have a phaser on hand to express my true views to Mother Varek about this stunt she's pulled_.' "I will get Naruto and let _him_ decide."

"A most logical decision T'Ara." said Varek. "It _is_ for his benefit after all."

' _I swear, Mother Varek is one of the most illogical Vulcans I have ever met_.' grumbled T'Ara to herself mentally as she went to find Naruto. T'Ara soon found Naruto reading to the obviously captivated Talok. ' _I hate to interrupt this. Naruto and Talok both look so pleased together_.' "Naruto, Mother Varek wishes for your opinion on meeting your cousin Zerin….She's Taurik's daughter."

"Taurik the artist?" asked Naruto with uncertainty in his voice. Seeing his Mother nod, the blonde boy asked, "Why would I want to meet her?"

T'Ara said tiredly, "Mother Varek thinks that you might make a good bonded pair." She saw the questions racing through her son's big blue eyes and said. "I wouldn't even consider it but Mother Varek is guilting your Father again."

Naruto got a resigned look on his face. "I suppose it would be logical to meet these people for Father's sake then."

….

The blonde came out in the front room and said, "I understand you have arranged a meeting for me Lady Varek?"

"You know you should call me _Grandmother_ now Naruto." said Varek in a reassuring tone.

"I'm far more comfortable addressing you as you always wanted me to in the past Lady Varek." Naruto's blue eyes were set in cold stone.

Varek said pleasantly, "Now don't be that way young Nar-"

"I believe you wanted to explain this meeting Mother Varek?" said T'Ara.

Varek tried to lock eyes with T'Ara but found her daughter in law's onyx eyed stare was far too much to challenge. She turned to Naruto and said "Your Father's cousin Taurik and I were discussing his lovely daughter Zerin and how she is the same age as you. She is also unbonded due to unfortunate circumstances like yourself. It seems very logical that you two should meet and see if you aren't as compatible as we believe you are."

Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra energy. He was _not_ pleased. "Since the arrangements have already been made it seems logical that I should meet this person to avoid unnecessary conflict." His voice was flat as plane geometry.

Varek said, "That is a most logical and mature answer my grandson. I'm quite sure you will find Zerin to be a very interesting young lady."

….

Naruto was soon in the family hovercraft traveling separately from Varek who planned to take them all in her own vehicle. Sovar was driving and said. "I don't expect this to go well at all Naruto. I realize you are making a sacrifice for the sake of family unity. You are a good son."

Naruto felt bad for his Father. "Do not trouble yourself over this Father. I will meet this person and simply act indifferent. From what you've said in the past; these particular cousins are best avoided."

"Indeed they are." said Sovar and T'Ara as one.

….

 **City of ShiKhar, Artisan Quarter, Taurik and Elonat's home/art studio**

Naruto was led to a very large home/art studio surrounded by abstract and bizarre art the likes of which he'd never seen in the yard. Varek was eagerly explaining that Taurik and Elonat were both artists and served as each other's muses. Naruto thought the place was peculiar and creepy. ' _The Forge is symmetry_.' thought the blonde. ' _This place is the definition of asymmetry. How disturbing and illogical_.'

Varek interrupted Naruto's train of thought by saying, "It would be so fortuitous if you and Zerin likewise inspired each other." Naruto absentmindedly nodded as he continued to look at the strangeness around him.

The door of the house opened to Varek's gentle knock and a large Vulcan man with multi colored hair and a strange asymmetrical haircut opened the door. In polite Vulcan Society it was _unheard_ of to color your hair for _any_ reason. The green and red highlights in the man's brown hair made Sovar and his family nearly drop their jaws in shock. "Welcome!" boomed the man. _This was Taurik_ ….

Savor thought to himself, ' _He looks even worse than I remember!_ '

T'Ara covered her baby daughter's eyes and stared. ' _I'd forgotten about this horror show_.'

Naruto stared in disbelief. "Hello young one, you must be Naruto. I'm your cousin Taurik." said the big man.

Taurik invited them all in and they found the inside of the house was even wilder than the outside. "Elonat is doing Zerin's hair so they'll be a few minutes. Please come in and sit down." said Taurik congenially.

Young Naruto soon realized that this man liked talking as much as his Father's Mother Varek did. ' _The chattering noise these two make is unbelievable_.' he thought in horror. He also realized that Varek and Taurik were doing all of the talking while Naruto's parents sat in silence and nodded occasionally.

Soon a rather beautiful Vulcan woman came out dressed in absolutely blinding yellow and red robes. Her hair was cut normally but had white vertical stripes throughout it. She was completely silent and her makeup made her look like her eyes were slanted and catlike. Taurik said, "Naruto, this is my most beauteous wife Elonat. Elonat; this is cousin Sovar's son Naruto." Elonat bowed silently and motioned grandly back towards the doorway she'd just entered through. There stood a beautiful girl that seemed to be a miniature Elonat. She was dressed entirely in black robes and her long jet black hair and onyx eyes contrasted with her porcelain skin.

"Allow me to introduce our glorious treasure Zerin." said Taurik proudly.

Zerin bowed dramatically and then glided across the floor to where Naruto was sitting. She bowed again to Naruto and said in a silky voice, "I am Zerin. It is an honor to meet you cousin Naruto." She stared at Naruto very intensely.

Naruto stood up awkwardly and bowed before he said uneasily, "Hello cousin. I am Naruto. It is an honor to meet you as well." ' _What a_ _ **strange**_ _girl_.'

Zerin reached out and gripped Naruto's face as if she was going to attempt a mind meld. Naruto's eyes widened and she ran her thumbs over his whisker marks on his cheeks and her fingers through his spiky blonde locks. "So feral; so untamed." said the girl silkily. "Surely like a thunderbolt in the desert. Tell me Naruto; you have a foreign name. What does it mean?" She was staring deeply into his eyes in an unnerving way.

Naruto said very uncomfortably, "My name means maelstrom."

The strange girl's jaw dropped as her hands fell to her sides. "I-I am _so_ inspired! I _must_ paint!" She dashed back to her room in a flash….

Varek and Taurik seemed thrilled and Elonat nodded in silent approval.

Naruto robotically turned to his parents and said in an emotionless tone, "It is time to leave." The look of shock in his eyes was _more_ than enough to convince T'Ara and Sovar to hit the road.

T'Ara nodded at her son and said to Tarik and Elonat, "Thank you for welcoming us into your home. It seems Naruto is inspired as well." ' _Inspired to leave anyway. I know **I** am_.'

Feeling that was as good an excuse as any, Sovar bowed and said, "Live long and prosper my cousins."

With that Naruto and his family speedily went back to the hovercraft and went home as fast as was legally possible….

….

 **Stardate 2265.348 Starbase 14**

 _Personal Log of Commodore Eric Grayson: Much to the shock of the crew of the Excalibur, the eleven year old Samui has easily adapted to our technology and is absolutely brilliant. You would think she was raised with our technological level. Our Chief Medical Officer Doctor Cass has confirmed she is superior to normal humans in every way just like the history books tell us. She is smarter, stronger, faster and more resistant to disease. When Doctor Cass inoculated her against modern diseases her body had completely acclimated within mere hours._

 _She hasn't shown any particular inclinations towards conquest or flaunting her superiority though she does use the phrase superior normally in reference to her genetics. She is fascinated by Earth's history including the Eugenics Wars. Her phrase was she 'Wanted to see things from the perspective of the winning side.' All in all Samui is a fascinating child. To my own disbelief I am kind of sorry to see her go. Starfleet Command is taking her to Earth where she can grow up and integrate into modern society with some appropriate foster parents_ ….

Samui had her things together and bid the Commodore and crew of the _U.S.S. Excalibur_ farewell before she went to her new caretakers that were taking her to Earth. She said "Thank you all for rescuing me and bringing me here. I believe humanity is meant to sail the stars. Perhaps I'll join Starfleet in a few years as it seems to be a superior path. It would be cool if I could see you all again. Later." With that she marched off with purpose in her step.

Lieutenant Sandy Talbut chuckled. "I guess everything is _cool_ with little Samui. I hope she turns out all right. She seems like a good, smart kid after all."

Dreyfus nodded. "If she joins Starfleet Academy in a few years she'll graduate at the top of her class."

"Of that I have no doubt." agreed the Commodore.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well it seems Naruto's artist cousins are the Vulcan equivalent of _The Addams Family_. Having attended art school I figure there are probably some Vulcans out there that are somewhat off kilter as well. (I know these things; I'm an artist too). When I read about the Artisan Quarter of ShiKhar the die was pretty much cast. I hope everyone likes the inclusion of Shizuka and Samui. Next chapter we will follow Naruto as he chooses his next path into his higher education. We will also catch up with Samui and see how Shizuka does in the Starfleet Academy. See you next time. Blue out. 10/28/16


	4. Chapter 4

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I was asked about T'Lyra's appearance and who she was based on. To be honest she isn't based upon anybody. If I had to pick a character she physically resembles I guess it would be Kasumi out of the Dead or Alive games. She's very attractive but with soft and feminine features. Here is chapter 4. Enjoy!

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2265.348 Starbase 14_**

 _Personal Log of Commodore Eric Grayson: Much to the shock of the crew of the Excalibur, the eleven year old Samui has easily adapted to our technology and is absolutely brilliant. You would think she was raised with our technological level. Our Chief Medical Officer Doctor Cass has confirmed she is superior to normal humans in every way just like the history books tell us. She is smarter, stronger, faster and more resistant to disease. When Doctor Cass inoculated her against modern diseases her body had completely acclimated within mere hours. _

_She hasn't shown any particular inclinations towards conquest or flaunting her superiority though she does use the phrase superior normally in reference to her genetics. She is fascinated by Earth's history including the Eugenics Wars. Her phrase was she 'Wanted to see things from the perspective of the winning side.' All in all Samui is a fascinating child. To my own disbelief I am kind of sorry to see her go. Starfleet Command is taking her to Earth where she can grow up and integrate into modern society with some appropriate foster parents_ …. 

_Samui had her things together and bid the Commodore and crew of the_ _U.S.S. Excalibur_ _farewell before she went to her new caretakers that were taking her to Earth. She said "Thank you all for rescuing me and bringing me here. I believe humanity is meant to sail the stars. Perhaps I'll join Starfleet in a few years as it seems to be a superior path. It would be cool if I could see you all again. Later." With that she marched off with purpose in her step._

 _Lieutenant Sandy Talbut chuckled. "I guess everything is_ _cool_ _with little Samui. I hope she turns out all right. She seems like a good, smart kid after all."_

 _Dreyfus nodded. "If she joins Starfleet Academy in a few years she'll graduate at the top of her class."_

 _"Of that I have no doubt." agreed the Commodore._

Chapter 4

 **Stardate 2265.348 Planet Vulcan, City of ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

T'Ara and Sovar had spent the last week avoiding the advances of Taurik and Elonat for Naruto to ' _spend more time_ ' with Zerin and things were _finally_ settling back into a routine. It was morning and before school Naruto was doing his usual V'Shan warm up routine to loosen up his body and get his blood pumping. He was joined by his little sister Talok who loved to ' _dance'_ with her big brother as he went through his precise and fluid motions in the back yard.

Watching her baby daughter flailing around ' _dancing_ ' with her serene son was one of T'Ara's secret pleasures. Talok was absolutely adorable and T'Ara wanted to rush outside to dance with her baby girl. Years of emotional control prevented such outrageous behavior but it didn't stop T'Ara from joining them with her own V'Shan routine when she had time. Talok was just so cute!

….

 **ShiKhar Primary School**

After his morning V'Shan workout Naruto went to school where he was greeted by T'Lyra and his new friend Kesh. Kesh had just returned from the hospital earlier that week and genuinely wanted to get to know Naruto since they'd never interacted all that much before. Naruto was pleased to have friends but at the same time he noticed Arev's angry and jealous glares at him. The blonde figured Kesh could handle himself but Arev had been looking murderously at T'Lyra and Naruto was concerned for her safety. T'Lyra made no bones about giving Arev the cold shoulder since the _kahs-wan_ or the fact she was associating with Naruto since then. It was actually a big subject in the classroom….

"Has T'Lyra broken her bond with Arev?" whispered one of the girls. "I wonder if she is going to be with Naruto from now on."

"I don't know." whispered another girl back. "I heard Naruto saved Arev's life during the _kahs-wan._ Kesh said so -and Arev was angry about it! He was also angry at T'Lyra because she passed the ritual and he failed. It's no wonder T'Lyra wants to distance herself from Arev. Such displays of emotionalism and ungratefulness are vulgar. Kesh says he is friends with Naruto now and that he owes Naruto his life. For Arev to act the way he has towards Naruto and T'Lyra is unthinkable."

"It is little wonder Arev didn't pass the test of maturity. It is clear he isn't ready for adulthood." whispered the first girl.

' _I can hear everything you are saying_.' thought Naruto dourly. ' _Gossip is not a good thing._ _Oh well. I suppose these rumors put me in a positive light for a change_.'

At lunch Naruto was sitting with T'Lyra who brought some extra desserts to share with Naruto after they finished their lunches. (More rumors started as a result). Naruto was learning different things about T'Lyra. She was a very neat and orderly girl that couldn't understand the logic behind Naruto being treated differently because he was born a hybrid. Naruto appreciated her views but felt that the majority of Vulcans did not follow the same ideals. T'Lyra was also an accomplished player of the ka'athyra** and liked to sing. She'd been taking private music lessons for years actually.

….

Naruto had to wonder about why he had climbed up so fast in the social circles since he passed his _kahs-wan_. It was a very important ritual but all Vulcans had to do it eventually. He had asked his Mother who replied, " _The reason it has had such an impact is because you are a hybrid my son. Only one other hybrid has survived to pass the kahs-wan and that is Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda's son Spock. Many in our extended family didn't believe you would survive_."

Naruto accepted his Mother's explanation but felt it was highly illogical to assume he would _die_ during the _kahs-wan_ ritual just because he is different….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto arrived home from school that afternoon and saw a vehicle there he did not recognize. He figured it was another visitor from the Vulcan Science Academy to see his Mother. Coming into his house Naruto took his sandals off and announced, "Mother, I am home."

The blonde was surprised to see his Mother shoot out of the kitchen with Talok in tow. "Welcome home Naruto. My _Mother_ is here and I ask that you keep an eye on Talok in the back until she departs."

Talok held up her arms and said, "Nar-nar, up!" Talok hadn't quite gotten the name _Naruto_ down yet.

Naruto picked up Talok and said, "How are you today little one? Let's head back to our rooms and do something together." ' _What is Mother's_ _ **Mother**_ _doing here? They haven't been on speaking terms since before I was born. I don't even know what the woman looks like_.' Naruto was very puzzled but took Talok back to his room to find something to entertain her with.

….

T'Ara went back into the kitchen to talk to her Mother Sarissa. Sarissa was a very young looking woman that easily could have passed off as her daughter's sister or twin. She had the same onyx eyes and jet black hair as well as T'Ara's delicate facial features. Like her child, Sarissa was quite stunning. Sarissa said, "You could have at least introduced me to my own grandchild."

Naruto's Mother simply said; "I see no logical reason to do so. You've never been in his life before so why start now?"

Sarissa sighed. "I told you I've come to make amends T'Ara. When I heard Naruto passed his _kahs-wan_ I was very pleased and thought it was time to bridge this gap between us. I have missed you my child. I want to be a part of your life again. Is that too much for a Mother to ask?"

T'Ara's onyx eyes were set in stone. "You ended our relationship years ago."

The elder of the two frowned. "Must you be so stubborn like your Father was? I will admit it; I was _wrong_. I was _completely_ wrong. Your Father died in the military and I am a pacifist. You know I was shattered inside when you told me you wanted to go into Starfleet like he did….Don't you understand?"

"You've moved on." said T'Ara. "You have remarried successfully and have had three children since then. I've never met any of them. There is no reason you need me in your life now. You told me to stay away from your new family and I have obeyed your wishes."

"Do you resent the fact I've remarried?" asked Sarissa. "You have siblings that would be honored to meet you. They hold you in the greatest esteem for your achievements in science. I-"

T'Ara cut her Mother off. "I have no resentments about you remarrying. Father would have said the same….Frankly I'm surprised your three children have even heard of me. Go back to Naweeth City and forget about me."

"Must you be so cold?" asked Sarissa. "Do you take pleasure in seeing your Mother suffer?"

T'Ara's face was marred by an angry scowl. " _You_ are the one that put yourself in this situation. Don't accuse _me_ of making you suffer. I doubted myself for years after what you said and did to me!"

"And I'm trying to make up for it!" said Sarissa in a raised voice. "All I'm asking for is for you to let me make it all up to you T'Ara! You are my daughter and there is an empty space where you should be….Please let me back into your life T'Ara….I want to know my grandchildren and to see what a fine woman my daughter has become."

T'Ara had tears in her eyes. She said in a low tone. "I will discuss this matter with Sovar tonight. You are an illogical and selfish woman. Come back tomorrow at noon and not a second before and I will give you my decision. _Now leave_."

Sarissa looked crestfallen but said, "I will come back tomorrow then." She pulled out a small package. "This was your Father's. I want Naruto to have it for his _kahs-wan_. Please accept it."

T'Ara wanted to scream but angrily snatched up the package anyway. She then silently showed her Mother to the door. Sarissa was about to say goodbye but found her daughter had already slammed the door behind her….

….

Naruto was sitting in the floor with Talok as she played with his Kal-toh set. The little girl was 'helping' her big brother as she stuck rods together at various angles much to her delight. Naruto raised an eyebrow when he heard the door slam and Talok jumped at the noise. "Nar-nar?" asked Talok.

The blonde said. "I think Mother just closed the door Talok. It's none of our concern."

"Ma-ma pay Kal-toh?" asked the little girl in her baby talk.

Naruto sensed a feeling of heaviness in the air from the front room and said, "Perhaps Mother will play later on. I think she's busy right now…."

….

The next morning Naruto woke up for school as usual and saw that Talok was up bright and early but his parents weren't. ' _Father and Mother must be sleeping in. I hope Mother is all right. She seemed very bothered last night_.' Talok started making noise to get Naruto's attention and soon he had changed her and gotten her dressed to help out his parents. "Let's go have some breakfast Talok. I think Mother and Father are sleeping in."

….

T'Ara awoke lying in her husband's arms. Sovar had taken care of her all last night both physically and mentally. They talked a lot and made love until they were exhausted. T'Ara saw Sovar's hair was all disheveled in the morning light. She had a tiny smile on her face as she played with his bangs. Sovar's eyes opened and he said, "Good morning T'Ara."

The onyx eyed beauty brushed her long black hair back and said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Sovar touched his fingers to hers affectionately and he said, "You didn't wake me. Naruto and Talok have been up a while and they woke me up."

Her eyes widened and she said, "I need to get up and take care of Talok."

Sovar gently planted a kiss on her lips and said. "I took today off from work today. Let's lie here a while and talk together. If Naruto needs help he will knock on the door."

T'Ara laid her head down on Sovar's shoulder and said, "I don't know what to do about Mother."

"Tell your husband about it; he can be a good listener from what I've heard." said Sovar as he wrapped his arms around his wife.

T'Ara said sadly, "My Mother Sarissa wishes to enter my life again. She came all the way from Naweeth City because she somehow heard about Naruto's passing the _kahs-wan_ ritual. My Mother asked me to stay out of her life when I decided to join Starfleet. She did not even attend our wedding….I cannot fathom why she wants to open such a door after she so thoroughly ended our relationship."

Sovar rubbed his wife's back gently. "Perhaps Sarissa has been keeping tabs on us all this time. I don't know who would be in a position to inform her though. To know of Naruto's _kahs-wan_ it would have to be someone in close contact with us…."

T'Ara and Sovar looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes before they came to the exact same conclusion. "Mother Varek….she would know all these things." said T'Ara with disbelief in her voice.

"It is a logical conclusion." groaned Sovar. "She and Mother Sarissa always were good friends and did arrange our marriage." He sighed. "Once again it seems my Mother defies rationality. She is well aware that we have had no contact with Mother Sarissa for well over a decade."

The onyx eyed beauty hugged her husband. "You are the only one in your family that is fully sane Sovar. I still cannot fathom how you are related to your Mother."

He gave her a minimal smile and said. "I'll take that as a compliment my wife. Perhaps the rumors I was adopted are true."

….

Naruto would have sworn he heard his Mother laughing as he and Talok ate breakfast but dismissed it as too unlikely to be possible….

….

Sovar soon got up while T'Ara took a morning shower. He was glad to see his wife in better spirits again. Sovar saw Naruto was in the back yard watching over Talok as she danced around him doing her own interpretation of the V'Shan exercises her brother did. Seeing her Father was there, Talok trotted over and greeted him "Fa-da! Nar-nar dance!" she said exuberantly.

Picking up his little daughter, Sovar watched as his son completed his morning routine to perfection. "Yes, Naruto is good at dancing isn't he Talok?"

She eagerly agreed and Naruto came over to Sovar. "Good morning Father." said the blonde. "Is Mother doing better?"

"Your Mother is going to be fine." said Sovar. "She is going through a stressful time due to her Mother Sarissa. Things will work themselves out Naruto."

Naruto asked, "Then you are staying home with her today?" Seeing his Father nod, the blonde visibly relaxed. "I am glad. I can go to school without worry then."

Sovar looked at Naruto proudly. "I'm glad you are responsible like your Mother. I think I can keep things under control while you are at school."

Naruto grinned shyly and got his things together for school. He soon bid his Father and sister and good day and headed out.

T'Ara soon came out after her shower and asked, "Did Naruto already leave?"

Her husband nodded. "He asked me to tell you he would be thinking about you today." Sovar pondered for a moment and said, "We have been blessed with a fine boy."

T'Ara leaned into Sovar and said, "I couldn't ask for a better son."

….

 **ShiKhar Primary School**

Naruto was on his way to class when he was stopped by Arev in the courtyard of the school. The large boy growled, "Stay away from T'Lyra. She belongs to me."

The blonde wanted to smack Arev but resisted the urge. He said calmly, "T'Lyra is her own person. You do not own her. She should be free to associate with whoever she wishes." Naruto noticed a crowd was quietly forming.

"If you don't stay away from T'Lyra I'll _make_ you stay away you half-breed." said Arev threateningly. "I beat you bloody years ago and I'm not afraid to do it again!"

Naruto frowned and said, "You'll regret it if you cross me again…." The crowd was whispering amongst themselves and the blonde motioned to the group around them. "You are making a spectacle of yourself Arev."

Arev saw T'Lyra enter the courtyard and narrowed his eyes at her. "Then I'll just use this opportunity to prove I'm better." The large boy lashed out at Naruto twice but the blonde easily dodged. "Stand still!" yelled Arev. Naruto caught Arev's wrist and flipped the larger boy over his shoulder causing Arev to hit the ground hard on his back. The bully wouldn't quit though and slowly rose back up.

Naruto said to his classmates, "Don't just stand there; call an instructor!" Two of the students headed inside the school.

Arev tried to gracelessly tackle Naruto to use his larger size to an advantage. T'Lyra called out in warning to Naruto as the blonde easily evaded the clumsy attack. "She's mine!" roared Arev.

The blonde hybrid had seen enough. Using a brutal Kareel-ifla spinning mid kick Naruto sent Arev flying and followed up with a V'Shan neck strike that knocked the lummox unconscious. ' _What a lousy way to start the day_ ….' thought Naruto.

T'Lyra came over and asked, "Are you alright Naruto? Were you hurt in any way?"

"I'm fine T'Lyra." said Naruto. "I just wish this situation could have been avoided. I wonder if he is mentally disturbed."

Several instructors arrived shortly afterwards and Instructor T'Partha asked for an explanation from Naruto first. "So in short, you rendered him unconscious after he repeatedly tried to do harm to you." said Instructor T'Partha. Seeing Naruto nod she said, "I will question the others who witnessed this event Naruto. Since you are unharmed there is no reason you can't go on into the classroom to your learning station."

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

At precisely noon Sarissa arrived at her daughter's house feeling very tense and worried. She knocked on the door and to her surprise it was Sovar who answered the door. He looked at her for a moment and said, "Hello Mother Sarissa. It has been a long time. It surprised me to hear of your visit yesterday."

"It is good to see you well Sovar." said Sarissa as calmly as she could. "Is T'Ara willing to see me?" She was wringing her hands nervously.

Sovar nodded and said, "T'Ara is in the kitchen. Please come in but know I'll be here for T'Ara's sake."

Sarissa bowed slightly and said, "Of course; thank you for inviting me into your home."

Talok came trotting in and held her arms up to Sovar. "Up!" she said. Sovar scooped up his little girl who squealed happily.

Looking at her grandchild, Sarissa said, "She looks just like T'Ara at that age…."

"You've missed a lot." said Sovar. "I trust you know about things from my Mother Varek?"

Sarissa looked surprised and said, "She told you?"

Sovar shook his head. "No, she simply was the most logical choice. My Mother is quite talkative after all."

' _As always T'Ara is three steps ahead of me_.' thought Sarissa. "I hope you and T'Ara aren't offended by my prying."

"I was simply surprised." admitted Sovar. "I believe T'Ara will have to answer for herself though." Sovar adjusted little Talok in his arms. "I'll be out here. T'Ara is waiting for you at the kitchen table."

Feeling like she was headed towards the proverbial gallows; Sarissa went in to see her daughter.

T'Ara looked dispassionately at her Mother. "You came back. I am surprised." It was a statement that took Sarissa of guard.

"You are my daughter." said Sarissa. "I want to rebuild what we lost."

T'Ara said, "Please be seated and we will talk about it…."

….

 **ShiKhar Primary School**

Naruto was working on some quantum physics problems as his classmates filtered in having answered the questions of the instructors about the fight between Naruto and Arev. Instructor T'Partha said to him, "Naruto, you have been summoned to Headmaster Sarda's office. I trust you to be on your best behavior."

The blonde hybrid had a sinking feeling in his stomach and nodded. "I shall go there straightaway Instructor. Thank you." Naruto quickly made his way to the third floor where the Headmaster's Office was. ' _Of all the days for this to happen it had to be when Mother and Father are busy with Mother's estranged Mother Sarissa_.' the blonde thought glumly.

Naruto knocked on the Headmaster's office door and was bid to enter. He gave the Vulcan salute and said, "I come to serve."

"Your service honors us." replied Headmaster Sarda. Sarda was a graying but very distinguished looking Vulcan. He had his secretary in the room beside his desk. She was also gray haired and looked very strict. "Come in and sit young Naruto. I am Sarda and this is my senior secretary Kov."

The woman nodded and Naruto bowed. "It is an honor to meet you both." Naruto quickly sat in front of the Headmaster's desk feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

Sarda steepled his fingers in front of him. "I understand there was an altercation between you and young Arev who is a classmate of yours. I saw the end of it from my window when you rendered him unconscious. I have read the reports from Instructor T'Partha as well as your classmates who witnessed the event. Still, it seems prudent for me to listen to your side of the situation directly from you."

Naruto spent the next forty five minutes explaining the situation to the Headmaster and his secretary. They asked questions when appropriate and seemed to be very reasonable people to Naruto (even though he was nervous as could be). Finally Headmaster Sarda said, "This concludes our interview young Naruto. I do have a personal question purely out of curiosity however." Sarda's secretary Kov raised an eyebrow.

"I will answer as best I can of course." said Naruto.

Sarda had a slight twinkle in his eye that took Naruto off guard. "I am most curious about the martial arts you employed during your fight." Kov's face fell. The Headmaster said, "Unless I'm mistaken that was a Kareel-ifla spin kick followed fluidly by a V'Shan neck strike. The moves are both potentially deadly yet you used them in a flawless and non-lethal way."

"I am a fifth level adept*** in both V'Shan and Kareel-ifla sir." explained Naruto. "Using those moves in a non-lethal way is a simple task."

Sarda's eyes widened. "A fifth level _adept_ , not _learner?_ " asked the Headmaster. Seeing Naruto nod Sarda asked, "Where did you learn to have such skill so early in life?"

Naruto answered, "My Father is a teacher at the Vulcan Institute for the Defensive Arts. He is a sixth level Master at Kareel-ifla and a first level Master of V'Shan. Likewise my Mother is a second level Master at V'Shan. They have been training me since I was five years old."

Sarda said, "Even with that you must be a _prodigy_ at the martial arts. You switched between two styles _effortlessly_."

Secretary Kov wanted to face palm…. _Apparently Headmaster Sarda was a martial arts nut_ ….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

For all the drama going on with Naruto at school, Sovar listening to the highly emotional (by Vulcan standards) conversation between his wife and Mother in law had been taxing on the man. Sovar was well aware that Sarissa had deeply hurt T'Ara but was genuinely trying to make amends. On the other hand; hearing the pain in his wife's voice made him want to throw Sarissa out of the house and tell her to never come back.

Eventually T'Ara agreed that the path of reconciliation was the most logical solution. Sarissa hugged her daughter and said, "You will not regret this my daughter. I am so proud of you. We can overcome this together." T'Ara just nodded. Sarissa asked, "May I stay and meet my grandson Naruto? Varek said he is a very special and handsome boy."

T'Ara raised an eyebrow analytically. "Mother Varek said that?" ' _Perhaps she had too much Vulcan port_.' "I am surprised given her general attitude towards my son."

"Really?" asked Sarissa. "Since he passed his _kahs-wan_ Varek has only spoken of him in glowing terms. I was under the impression she is extremely proud of him."

"I can't fathom Mother Varek's logic." said T'Ara as she led her Mother out into the front room where Talok was sleeping peacefully in Sovar's arms.

Sarissa said, "Talok is such a beautiful child T'Ara. I feel like I'm looking at you when you were that age. You were always so busy and filled with curiosity. I wonder if she is the same."

"I believe it is safe to say she is." said Sovar quietly. "She is definitely her Mother's daughter."

….

Naruto soon made it home looking a bit taxed. Headmaster Sarda had talked his ear off about the martial arts and very much wanted to meet Sovar. The blonde came inside and was greeted by his Father who he handed his data pad. Sovar read the message from the Headmaster with raised eyebrows. ' _Naruto finally put that boy Arev in his place and the Headmaster is very enthused and wants to meet me having witnessed Naruto's exceptional skill in the martiall arts_.' "Naruto, do you know what this document says?"

"I could speculate but I haven't read it." said Naruto in a tired tone. "The Headmaster said it was to be read by you first Father."

Sovar ruffled his son's spiky hair. "Let's wait until later to tell your Mother. She's had quite an eventful day as it is."

"How did things go…?" asked Naruto.

"Your Mother has chosen to reconcile with her Mother Sarissa." said Sovar. "Sarissa is very eager to meet you. She apparently heard many good things about you from my Mother."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in the exact same fashion T'Ara always did. "Lady Varek said something positive about me? I can't fathom her logic."

Sovar gave a tiny smile much to Naruto's surprise. He said, "You are truly your Mother's son Naruto."

The blonde boy soon met his Grandmother Sarissa who seemed to be beaming at him. She presented him with a gift for his _kahs-wan_. Naruto opened it and saw it was a holographic picture of T'Ara as a child standing and holding hands with Sarissa and her Father. "T'Ara was only five at the time." said Sarissa fondly. "Your Mother was brilliant even then. I understand you are as well my Grandson."

Naruto looked fascinated at the picture of his Mother as a little girl. "Thank you Grandmother Sarissa. Talok looks just like Mother did."

"Indeed she does." agreed Sarissa with approval in her voice. "You are quite a handsome young man yourself."

Naruto was pleasantly surprised to meet his Grandmother Sarrisa….Compared to Varek she was a very logical woman….

….

 **Stardate 2265.354 T'Ara and Sovar's house**

It was morning and Naruto was relaxing at home since it was the weekend. He normally was very industrious but given how crazed the week had been the blonde hybrid was just enjoying the peace and quiet. Arev had been suspended from classes for the time being so he could work out his anger issues. Therapy was in order and it was quite embarrassing for Arev's family. Perhaps the most embarrassing was the entire student body of the primary school knew about it. As it turned out; Naruto actually was held in a very positive light for his actions. Given how out of control and aggressive Arev was; Naruto had to render him unconscious before he could do harm to others. In spite of the fact Vulcans abhorred violence by nature; it was felt that Naruto did what had to be done.

The blonde was interrupted from his musings by his Mother tapping on the doorway into his room. "Lost in thought my son?" asked T'Ara. She actually was rather pleased with how things had been with her Mother and all.

Naruto shook his head and said, "I'm sorry Mother, I was just reflecting on this past week."

T'Ara gave a minimal smile. "You have a guest. Your friend T'Lyra is here. She seems quite eager to see you."

' _If I didn't know better I'd say my Mother is teasing me_ ….' thought Naruto dubiously. "I'll be right there." said the blonde.

T'Lyra was practically glowing with happiness when Naruto came out to the front room. "Naruto, I got two tickets to the theatre this afternoon. Would you like to go with me?" said the blue wearing girl.

Seeing his parents nod in assent, Naruto said, "I will accompany you, what is playing…?"

….It was the first of many outings that T'Lyra and Naruto would go on….

 **Stardate 2266.014 Vulcana Regar**

A few weeks later during the vacation month between school trimesters, Naruto and his family went with Sovar's Mother Varek up to the grand Vulcan merchant city of Vulcana Regar to meet Naruto's twelve year old cousin Metana for the purposes of a possible bonding. Naruto had avoided Zerin like the plague and wanted to camp with his Father in The Forge instead of making this trip but Varek wouldn't let it drop so off they went. The meeting with Metana (a plain but attractive girl from an affluent background) had been….less than successful. She basically threw a fit at the idea of being bonded to any sort of hybrid and informed Naruto she wanted nothing to do with him…. _ever_.

Varek was terribly embarrassed as were Metana's parents. Naruto simply said that he and Metana obviously weren't a suitable match and it would be logical to leave it at that. Varek stayed behind to smooth things over and T'Ara concluded that the family should take a quick tour of Vulcana Regar since they were already there. The honest truth was Naruto's little family was immensely relieved that Varek's quest to find Naruto a mate was temporarily over. There was no way she could recover after losing that much face in front of her son and his family…. _or so they hoped_ ….

….

As they looked in various shops Naruto found all of the foreign goods in the merchant city to be quite fascinating. Like most Vulcans; Naruto felt no need to amass a lot of goods but all the different items were very interesting to look at. It was then that T'Ara saw an old friend from Starfleet and called out to him. "Inoichi; Inoichi Yamanaka!" called T'Ara over the noise of the crowds.

At rather tall man with longish, wavy blonde hair and intense blue eyes immediately sprang to attention. "Commander T'Ara?!" he asked in surprise.

T'Ara motioned her family to follow her and she said to Inoichi, "It is good to see you Inoichi. You needn't address me as Commander now that we are leading civilian lives. It has been a long time."

Inoichi relaxed and said, "Old habits die hard. It is good to see you too Com-, T'Ara. My family and I are here on a business vacation. My wife is in the trade business for Betazoid goods. What are you doing now?"

"I'm raising my children with my husband and working for the Vulcan Science Academy to further my research." said T'Ara, "Allow me to introduce my family; this is my husband Sovar and these are my children Naruto and Talok. Naruto is eleven and Talok will be three in the next few weeks."

Inoichi smiled in a friendly way and said, "I'm Inoichi Yamanaka from the Planet Betazed. We are looking into joining the Federation soon**** and I was and exchange officer on the _U.S.S. Republic_ with T'Ara."

"Betazoids are powerful telepaths and Inoichi specializes in psychology." explained T'Ara. "Inoichi was a great help to our crew."

Inoichi quietly observed T'Ara and Sovar and found their thoughts to be serene and very orderly as with most Vulcans. Little Talok was very curious and showed the thought patterns that her parents had honed over the years. Then there was Naruto….Inoichi asked, "Young Naruto here must be the result of the situation on Tori Prime IV, correct?"

T'Ara nodded and said, "He is my fine son."

Inoichi could sense Naruto's thought patterns were very 'Vulcan' but he also felt a massive, underlying power that could only be described as something very primal….

….

Inoichi soon introduced his wife Ayano and their eleven year old daughter Ino to T'Ara and her family. As the Betazoids had a matriarchy Ayano seemed to hold the power in the family. They agreed to have a meal together to catch up on things. As their parents talked Ino said, "So you've got blonde hair and blue eyes. That's pretty unusual here on Vulcan." She twirled her blonde ponytail and said, Of course, I've got blue eyes too so I'm an oddball myself."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why would blue eyes be considered odd?"

Ino smiled. "You don't get out much do you? All pure Betazoids are born with black irises like my Mom. Dad's Grandfather was a standard human and somehow those recessive blue eyes got passed down. Genetics are odd huh?"

"Genetics can be predicted easily enough but hybrid specimens sometimes exhibit unusual qualities." said Naruto sagely.

"Ha-ha, you talk like an old science professor Naruto!" said the sassy blonde girl.

T'Ara raised an eyebrow as the two preteens interacted. It was pretty obvious that Naruto was a bit baffled by Ino's exuberant personality. It was also obvious that Ino was having a great time….

….

Ino said, "I'm planning to go into Starfleet like Daddy did. Of course that is assuming Betazed is admitted into the Federation."

Naruto asked curiously, "What sort of capacity would you be serving in?"

"I'd want to go into the medical field. Xenobiology and psychology are my best subjects in school." replied the feisty blonde. "Hey, that wasn't a nice thought!" Naruto raised his eyebrows and Ino said "You just thought that I didn't seem smart enough to be a doctor!"

"You just read my mind?" asked Naruto.

Ino spouted, "Obviously!"

Naruto's eyes crackled with blue chakra and he thought, ' ** _Stay out of my head Ino_**.'

Ino was nearly bowled over by the power and her parents both turned to Naruto whose eyes had faded back to normal. "Is everything alright children?" asked Ayano worriedly.

Naruto said peacefully, "Everything is fine. We were just discussing….boundaries." Ino and her parents all sweat dropped though Ino was amazed at the sheer energy involved.

"So what are you planning?" asked Ino who recovered miraculously fast. "Are you going into Starfleet like your Mama?"

"Starfleet is an option to consider." said Naruto. "I'm going to the Vulcan Science Academy first to see if it is a suitable path for me."

The kids talked about space travel for some time before Ayano called for Ino. "It is time to go Ino. Say farewell to your new friend."

Ino nodded and stood up. "Until we meet again." she said with a wave.

Naruto gave the traditional Vulcan salute and said, "Live long and prosper Ino Yamanaka."

….

"Well, that boy certainly was an interesting one." said Ayano. "He seems calm on the surface but it seems the spirit of a powerful predator lurks within him."

"I think he's kinda neat." replied Ino with a giggle.

Inoichi just shook his head at his daughter's antics….

….

"So what did you think of your first interactions with a non-Vulcan child your age Naruto?" asked T'Ara. "She seems fairly typical for a baseline human despite the fact she's a Betazoid."

"Her tendency to change moods and subjects rapidly was most baffling and didn't follow any sort of logic that I could ascertain." said Naruto. "She did not seem to possess any ill will but it was all very confusing."

T'Ara said, "Imagine being on a ship full of people like that. Starfleet is an experience."

"How did you keep your sanity?" asked the blonde boy.

His Mother answered sagely, "It took lots and lots of meditation at times."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**A Vulcan harp, lyre or lute. It is a twelve stringed instrument which originated on Planet Vulcan.

***I don't know how rankings work in Vulcan Martial arts so I arbitrarily assigned ranks one through ten (one being the lowest) to the ranks of learner, adept, and master.

**** The Planet Betazed was admitted into the United Federation of Planets in 2273; in story time it is still 2266 so most of the political groundwork is (presumably) already in place.

Well, this chapter ended up being mainly Naruto's family-centric but we'll catch up more with Shizuka and Samui in future chapters. We also introduced Ino who will be running into Naruto again in the future. It seems for the moment Arev is out of the picture and T'Lyra seems to be taking advantage of that. Also, we've learned about T'Ara's side of the family. They seem to be more sane than Sovar's family but that isn't saying much is it? See you next time. Blue out. 11/12/16


	5. Chapter 5

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, I managed to squeeze this in between chapters of _**Magik**_ and it flowed fairly well. We have a two year time skip at the beginning of this chapter and Naruto will be going through some changes as he grows into being a teenager. Also, I don't intend to introduce a plethora of Naruto characters. One or two may appear from time to time but they are simply reincarnated souls. I have no plans to give them chakra or gain memories of previous lives. That of course doesn't mean Naruto couldn't befriend them.

Also, a note to my anonymous reviewer on Naruto's physical strength: He's twice as strong as an average Vulcan which would make him five to six times stronger than an average human. I have no idea how you got the idea he was 25 times stronger than a human. He isn't the Incredible Hulk.

That being said; here is chapter 5. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _"Well, that boy certainly was an interesting one." said Ayano. "He seems calm on the surface but it seems the spirit of a powerful predator lurks within him."_

 _"I think he's kinda neat." replied Ino with a giggle._

 _Inoichi just shook his head at his daughter's antics…._

 _…._

 _"So what did you think of your first interactions with a non-Vulcan child your age Naruto?" asked T'Ara. "She seems fairly typical for a baseline human despite the fact she's a Betazoid."_

 _"Her tendency to change moods and subjects rapidly was most baffling and didn't follow any sort of logic that I could ascertain." said Naruto. "She did not seem to possess any ill will but it was all very confusing."_

 _T'Ara said, "Imagine being on a ship full of people like that. Starfleet is an experience."_

 _"How did you keep your sanity?" asked the blonde boy._

 _His Mother answered sagely, "It took lots and lots of meditation at times."_

….

Chapter 5

 **Stardate 2267.253 Planet Vulcan, The Plains of Gol**

Two years had passed rapidly for Naruto and his friends. The nearly thirteen year old boy and his family were taking a vacation with T'Lyra's family as well as Kesh's. The three friends had become close as time had passed and their parents had become acquainted as a result. They'd come all the way east of ShiKhar City to the Plains of Gol to ride dzharels** on a ranch. None of the children had ever seen one of the horse like creatures before in person so it was a novel experience for all of them. The four year old Talok's eyes were wide with fascination as they walked over to the ranch where all the dzharels were kept. Looking over the fence at the blue and black zebra striped animals; the little girl pointed at young foal and said to T'Ara, "Look Mama, a baby one! Can I ride the baby?"

T'Ara looked fondly at her daughter and said, "Let's talk to the ranch owners and see about finding a little one for you." ' _I haven't been out here since I was a teenager. I was just as fascinated with them as Talok. They are such beautiful animals_.'

Sovar was standing beside Naruto as the blonde carefully examined each dzharel with a critical eye. He'd been reading about the creatures and their habits in detail for the last two weeks. "So our ancestors of the M'Fau clan rode these noble creatures and mastered them in the ancient past. Fascinating. What do you think Father?"

Placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder, Sovar said, "The M'Fau blood in your veins is mainly from your Mother's side. My side of the family is distant cousins that were mainly artisans. I wonder if you and Talok will have a flare for riding. I'm mediocre at best."

"With the balance and coordination you have with the martial arts that surprises me." said Naruto.

Sovar shrugged and said, "I think it is more a matter of being able to bond with the dzharels themselves. I've never been that good with animals in general."

Naruto nodded as he saw T'Lyra excitedly climb on the back of the dzharel that she had picked to ride. "Watch me Naruto!" said the blue wearing girl with a wave.

The blond waved back and Kesh came over. "I want to ride that one." he said pointing at one with turquoise stripes.

Naruto looked at the dzharel that Kesh was eyeing and said, "That one looks too skittish to me."

Kesh asked, "Did your books tell you that my friend?"

The blonde shock his head and said. "I trust my instincts. That animal is feeling uneasy."

Soon Talok was feeding fruit to the little foal that she was so excited about. The rides had been sedate as they were being conducted carefully under the watchful eyes of the ranchers. Everything went smoothly and everyone took a couple of rides safely. Talok had a foal that was small so she was very excited. It was shaping to be a perfect day of riding until Kesh got to ride the turquoise striped mare that he was so enamored with. The nervous animal reared up and everyone had to leap clear as the mare shot off into the sunset carrying the hapless Kesh along….

"Kesh!" cried out Kesh's parents. T'Lyra and her parents were also panicked.

Naruto face palmed. ' _Only you Kesh_ ….' thought the blonde morosely. The ranchers were already off in hot pursuit of the runaway mare and her luckless passenger….

….

Within twenty minutes it was apparent that the tired animals the ranchers had were not going to catch Kesh because the mare was frightened _and_ fresh….

….

Naruto said, "We need a fresh animal to catch Kesh or he'll end up on the other side of the plains." The blonde looked at the many dzharels shuffling about and his eyes crackled with chakra. Most of the animals shied away but Naruto held out his hand to one without a saddle. "Come my friend." said Naruto. "Will you help me catch my danger prone friend before he gets himself killed?"

One of the elderly ranchers panicked a bit and said, "Young man, that's a breeding stud. He is too wild to ride."

The blonde rubbed the nose of the stallion and said, "He is the fastest. He will help me catch that mare."

The red eyed stallion blew steam out of its nostrils and Naruto slipped up on the stallion's bare back smoothly as he would have with a saddle. Naruto placed his palm on the dzharel's neck just like he read his ancestors did when they 'spoke' to the animals. "Let's go." said Naruto quietly as he leaned low for speed. The stallion reared up a bit and then took off like a bullet from a gun….

….

Kesh was wide eyed with panic as his dzharel mare barreled along. The boy's braided hair was whipping in the wind behind him. He tried pulling a bit on the reins but frightened mare just sped up. He didn't realize it but the ranchers calling after him were being left in the dust. As they crested a large hill Kesh tried pulling the reins again only to cause the dzharel to turn left and start heading down a sharp incline….

Minutes later Naruto and his stallion crested the same hill and his dzharel came to a halt. Naruto looked down the incline and saw Kesh and the mare travelling unsteady downhill at his left. "Unbelievable…." he muttered. Naruto and the stallion both looked right and saw a much safer and shallower incline that looped around to the base of the hill. Naruto gently nudged the stallion to the right with his hand on its neck and the dzharel took off like a rocket again. Naruto felt his spiky hair being blown about as the stallion smoothly accelerated. ' _No wonder my clan loved these creatures! This feeling of riding like the wind is completely liberating_ ….'

The stallion leapt over a small ravine and shot down the path leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Naruto looked ahead and grinned as the intensity of the adrenaline increased. They arrived at the bottom of the hill as Kesh and his mare ended their perilous trip down the incline. Naruto let the stallion steer himself as they matched speed with the mare. Naruto reached across and roughly gripped the reins of the mare bringing the frightened animal to a halt. Kesh was hyperventilating as he gripped Naruto's shoulder and felt his heartbeat start slow down….

"How is it you get into these situations Kesh?" asked Naruto in disbelief.

"There is no logic in my life." lamented Kesh.

Naruto just face palmed again….

….

 **Later** ….

The ranch owner said to Naruto, "It defies logic that Vuzh*** allowed you to ride him young man. That stallion has always been wild. The only thing I can say is you are a credit to the M'Fau Clan to do what you did."

Naruto said, "I had to save my friend."

The old rancher nodded, "Come back if you ever need riding lessons. You have a natural talent for Naruto M'Fau."

….

 **Stardate 2267.260** **City of ShiKhar, Old Quarter**

Naruto was having lunch with T'Lyra at the little restaurant in the Old Quarter she was so fond of. They were having her favorite, kleetanta with forati sauce. Naruto also had some ulan soup as a side. "It amazes me that you plan to try out for the Vulcan Science Academy so young Naruto. Are you sure you aren't rushing things a bit? It doesn't seem very logical to me to go headlong into this."

The blonde replied, "My Mother went in when she was fifteen. She says it will be a good exercise to prepare for the future entrance exams. Besides, it will give me two years of practice if I intend to get in at fifteen."

T'Lyra drummed her fingers. "Naruto, have you considered what will happen if you _pass_ the entrance exams? That brain of yours has gotten you in trouble before. Sometimes you are too smart for your own good. I personally blame T'Ara for this."

"I'm sure my Mother would be honored by your words T'Lyra." said Naruto with amusement in his blue eyes.

The blue wearing girl said quietly, "I don't want you to go away to another school Naruto. I'll….be alone without you…."

Naruto said, "The Vulcan Science Academy is only a few kilometers outside ShiKhar. It isn't like I'll really be going away."

"Then you _really_ are trying to get in early?" she asked.

He sighed. "Of course I'm trying. I need to do my best. It wouldn't be logical to not give my all. On the contrary, I don't believe it would realistic to assume I will gain entry on my first try. As I said; this is for practice as much as anything."

T'Lyra said, "But it _is_ possible you could get in."

" _Anything_ is possible T'Lyra." replied Naruto. "Will you support me in this endeavor? You are my dear friend."

T'Lyra sighed softly and said, "Of course I will support you Naruto. You are my _dearest_ friend…."

….

 **Stardate 2267.290** **,** **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

On Naruto's thirteenth birthday he was old enough to take the entrance exams for the Vulcan Science Academy. The entrance exams were a week later. The blonde got up earlier than usual and studied the practice exams until T'Ara rose and convinced him that it was logical to stop studying and eat breakfast. After that she drove Naruto down to her old alma mater, the Vulcan Science Academy. Specifically she took him to the entrance exam halls. T'Ara looked proudly at her son. Seeing he needed a bit of encouragement she said, "Naruto, just do your best. If you fail to gain entrance this year there is no shame in it. Your Father, sister and I will all be just as proud of you." She ruffled his spiky blonde hair affectionately and said, "Now go my son. Have confidence in yourself."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "I'll do my best Mother." Then he went over and got in line with the (mostly) older applicants….

 **Exam Hall**

After everyone was assigned a learning station Naruto focused on has center until he was ready. He placed his fingers on the touch pads of the learning station and the four data screens activated. He saw each holographic image come into focus with the Vulcan Science Academy Emblem. There was no prelude or explanation film. The computer said in a genderless, emotionless voice, "Test Applicant 2267155, Naruto M'Fau: Test Battery 1: Begin." Naruto's blue eyes lit up with chakra as every synapse in his young mind roared into a frenzy of activity.

Each screen asked different questions in a rapid fire way as Naruto shot the answers back just as quickly. He soon fell into a rhythm with the machines as he picked out the algorithms of all four machines as they sped up and slowed down to throw his thought patterns off. As questions about geography and tectonics shot by on the screens the blonde young man entered the manual coordinates for a most likely occurrence for a volcanic eruption on the opposite screen. All four screens stopped at once and the computer said, "Test Battery 1 completed. One standard hour has elapsed. Stand by for results."

Naruto took a deep breath and braced himself for the numbers….

"Geography: 100% Geology: 99% Tectonics: 100% Archeology: 100%"

The blonde young man ground his teeth. ' _Damn it. I missed a question_.'

Naruto didn't have time to dwell further on the subject as the computer screens focused again on the Academy emblem and the computer said: "Test Applicant 2267155, Naruto M'Fau: Test Battery 2: Begin."

….

 **Proctor Room**

T'Ara was up in the Test Proctor Room. She wasn't actually proctoring but rather she was observing as a scientist. Her specific study: Naruto's hybrid brainwave functions. ' _My son's brainwaves are simply marvelous. He is currently only using 50% of his thought capacity and the other applicants are averaging at 81%. The next lowest student is at 64%. I am so pleased my son. Once again you've exceeded all of my expectations_.' She watched as the data poured in and saw the test batteries fly by rapidly; hour after hour. She was sipping her tea when suddenly Naruto's thought capacity usage shot up massively. ' _What? Astrophysics? Naruto excels at that. Why would he…?_ ' She didn't notice her old Astrophysics Instructor Doctor Denak smirk from the corner of the darkened proctor room….

 **Exam Hall**

Naruto was in the middle of Test Battery 8 when an astrophysics problem dealing with time/space interface started to mathematically collapse. Naruto's blue eyes widened as he saw the lovely wave theorem he was about to complete suddenly imploded…. Naruto was still battling three other screens as the fourth continued to spiral downwards. He rapidly came to a realization and adjusted the wave accordingly to slow down the collapse. Introducing known theorems Naruto soon found the simulated warp field he was stabilizing had collapsed into a wormhole. Naruto then came to a conclusion. "I have to enter the _Cochrane Principle Theorem_ **** and cause the wormhole to disperse it _now!_ " he thought aloud.

 **Proctor Room**

"What do you mean _the Cochrane Principle Theorem isn't in the computer_ Doctor Denak?!" roared T'Ara at her old instructor. "That's a _guaranteed fail_ for that problem!"

Denak said, "Logically _any_ student who studied elementary warp theory _has_ to know the works of Doctor Zefram Cochrane, T'Ara. _Any_ applicant should have it memorized."

T'Ara was seriously considering throttling her old instructor (they never got along regardless) but then suddenly Naruto's thought capacity shot _above the limits_. "110%, 133%, 147%..." T'Ara was shocked when she realized what Naruto was doing. "He's entering Zefram Cochrane's Principle Theorem **_manually?!_** "

" ** _What?!_** " Doctor Denak practically screeched.

 **Exam Hall**

Naruto's right hand was a blur on then view screen as he entered the missing theorem from memory. The blonde's left hand was dancing across the other three screens questions at a normal rate while his right moved at proverbial warp speed.

Mere minutes later Naruto said aloud, "Theorem entered, _punch it!_ " The mathematical wormhole disintegrated back into a beautiful, perfect warp field….

Seconds later, the screens all went blank and the computer spoke again. "Test Battery 8 completed. Eight standard hours have elapsed. Stand by for results."

Naruto was breathing heavily as he stared at the screens. ' _There are eight to ten test batteries depending on the course. I don't know if I could do that one again_ ….'

"Physics: 100% Mathematics: 100% Logic: 100% **_Astrophysics:_** _ **100%**_ All test batteries completed."

Naruto made a fist with his right hand and it literally crackled with chakra as he held back a roar of victory….

….

"Applicant 2267155, Naruto M'Fau: Stand by for cumulative entrance exam results." droned the computer.

"Total score: 3194/3200 questions"

"Cumulative score: 99.8125%"

….

 **Proctor Room**

" ** _Yes!_** " roared T'Ara. She didn't hold back at all. " _That is my son!_ " she turned to Denak and said, "Take that old man! You just couldn't let it go that I disproved your theory when I was still a student and tried to take it out on my boy. Once I've calmed down I'm turning you over to the Academy Ethics Committee." She looked over Naruto's brainwave patterns and saw everything was completely back to normal and marked the ' _hyper thought_ ' patterns to look into later. Frankly, T'Ara couldn't have been happier at that moment. She was absolutely _beaming_ ….

….

 **Student's Lounge**

Naruto followed the instructions on the screen to go to the student's lounge and await further instructions. As he walked along he saw many applicants were still working on their tests but all of them had one thing in common. Each applicant looked pale, exhausted and generally brain dead. Naruto was sure he looked that way too. He got in line at the lounge where food and drinks were being issued to the tired competitors. He took a drink of what he thought was water and cringed. The woman behind the counter said, "It's electrolytes. It will take care of your headache. You can get a regular drink once you've finished it applicant number 155."

' _Talk about impersonal_.' Naruto mentally grumped. ' _The least they could have done was added our names_ ….'

….

 **Teacher's Lounge**

T'Ara was eagerly going through the data on Naruto's brainwaves and having tea. ' _He boosted both his thought speed and his physical speed using chakra when he was in a state of_ _ **hyper thought**_ _. This is absolutely fascinating. He partitioned off a specific set of neural tracts in his brain directly to his fingers to entirely isolate the thought processes required for Cochrane's Principle while the rest of his brain dealt with the other three sets of problems normally. Someone very advanced in the arts of telepathy might be able to do this but Naruto did it instinctively to adapt to his extreme circumstances….simply marvelous_.'

Her thoughts were interrupted by an elderly male voice that said, "Is this seat taken Doctor T'Ara?"

T'Ara looked up and said, "Ah, Director Sekla! I did not see you there. Forgive me sir." She went to stand up and bow to the Director of the Academy but he motioned her to remain seated.

Sekla sat down with a tray of food and said, "It is of no matter T'Ara. I could tell you were quite immersed in your research and did not wish to interrupt….I heard that your son left quite an impression of Doctor Denak….He did the nigh impossible from what I've heard…."

The onyx haired beauty said, "I will submit a full report for you sir. I apologize if I seem remiss. I needed to calm myself a bit before proceeding."

Sekla said, "And what better way to calm oneself than to immerse the mind in new data?" The director had a gleam in his eye. "Did you actually say ' _Take that old man!_ ' to Denak?"

T'Ara nearly fell out of her chair in embarrassment. Blushing bright green she said delicately, "In my defense, Doctor Denak and I have been at odds ever since I was an undergrad and I disproved his theory on interphase space."

The Director said, "It would be more appropriate to say you _utterly destroyed_ Denak's Theory that he was so proud of. I have to say it was the most devastating application of both quantum mechanics and astrophysics I've ever seen presented by an undergraduate student to date and I've been teaching for almost a century now."

"Denak's ego was too big to let it go though." said T'Ara with a slight growl in her voice. "He deliberately took his grievances with me out on my thirteen year old son."

"And your boy passed the test with honors regardless of the odds Doctor T'Ara. You should be proud." said Director Sekla. "Thirty-seven members of the proctoring staff agree with you on Doctor Denak's behavior and have already reported it to both myself and the Academy Ethics Committee. The other thirteen members of the proctoring staff haven't had time to compile their reports yet."

T'Ara raised a delicate eyebrow. "That many agreed with me?"

"You are completely in the right T'Ara." said Sekla. "Logically, if Denak wanted to randomly test a cross section of students with such a difficult task he would have not only turned it over to the Committee for approval; he would have had several students mock tested. Giving only your son a nearly impossible task is not what the spirit of the Vulcan Science Academy is about. Had your son failed he would have been allowed a retest once things were sorted out. I'm afraid Denak has gone too far this time."

….

 **Student's Lounge**

Naruto finished his food and sat waiting at a table. He got out his tablet and started recording his views on the entrance exam for his Mother's sake. She had asked him for his opinion so she could compare it to her brainwave studies. As he typed away a rather tall young Vulcan woman sat down across the table from him. She set her tray of food down and said, "No offense but aren't you a bit young to be here number 155?"

"I'm thirteen years old so my age meets the requirements number 167." countered Naruto. He set his tablet down and said, "My name is Naruto of the M'Fau Clan; what is yours?"

"I'm Senva of the Tolek Clan." said the Vulcan girl, "I'm sixteen." Her mid length black hair was cut in a rather conservative bob. Naruto noticed she was rather pretty. "Forgive my curiosity but where do you come from? If you hail from the M'Fau Clan then…."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I'm a half Vulcan hybrid. I was born here in ShiKhar and was raised as a Vulcan. My appearance always draws attention so do not worry. It is natural to be curious."

She looked slightly surprised at his straightforward answer. "It must be awkward with others."

"I'm used to it." said the blonde. "How do you think you did on the test? There are 500 applicants and only 100 will be allowed."

Senva said, "I scored in the mid 90th percentile so I've passed the minimum requirements to gain entry."

Naruto nodded. "I passed too. I understand 88% is the lowest that can get in and often there are not enough applicants that score high enough to make a full class of 100."

"The Vulcan Science Academy has strict standards to maintain the level of excellence it is renowned for." said Senva.

"Hopefully we will both become classmates." said Naruto.

Senva's dark hazel eyes lit up slightly. "Yes, let us hope for that."

….

 **Exam Hall**

The Head Proctor read off the scores to the assembled applicants. "Starting in first place in class scores at 100% we have…."

Naruto mentally groaned. ' _Figures, like Mother said; there's always some overachieving genius that gets a perfect score_ ….'

"….Number 155, Naruto M'Fau. Third in class scores at 99.8125%, Passed _with Honors_ …."

' _Passed_ _ **with Honors?**_ ' thought Naruto. ' _I didn't know you could get honors with an Entrance Exam. The two above me didn't get them….How odd_ ….'

Senva looked over at Naruto impressed. ' _I had no idea. He didn't indicate how well he did. Most would show arrogance but he hasn't displayed any of that_.'

….

"….Number 167. Senva Tolek. Twenty fourth in class scores at 95.0625%, Passed…."

Naruto nodded and silently congratulated Senva through eye contact. She nodded back with a pleased look in her eyes.

….

"87 of the 500 hundred applicants passed and are officially accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy. We bid you welcome." said the Head Proctor. "You will receive further instructions before you leave regarding your enrollment. The remaining applicants are invited to try again next year. Live long and prosper."

….

Naruto congratulated Senva verbally and then waited quietly as the students mingled with each other and their parents and families that were present. T'Ara soon emerged from the crowd and easily picked out her son from the throng because of his blonde locks. "Ah, there is my fine son." said T'Ara as she beamed at her blonde haired boy. "I cannot tell you how proud I am of you at this moment."

Naruto stepped outside on a viewing deck with his Mother and felt the hot desert air blowing his hair back. He found his center and thought about the Forge. "Ah….I need to rest my fevered brain. It has been a long day."

T'Ara ruffled his hair. "Your hair is starting to get long again Naruto. I've often wondered if you shouldn't grow it out like your Father." she said conversationally. "What did you think of your entrance exams?"

"They were….taxing." said the blonde. "Entering _Cochrane's Principle_ manually was quite unexpected. I suspect that many students would have had difficulty with that question. Perhaps it's just me. I'm surprised that you didn't mention it Mother."

The onyx eyed beauty had humor in her eyes. "That's because it _wasn't supposed to be on the test_ my son. I doubt most of the _staff_ could have entered it within the time constraints; let alone the students. That is why you alone passed _with_ _honors_."

Naruto's blonde eyebrows shot up. "Why did I receive such a difficult task then?"

T'Ara gave one of her minimalist smiles and said, "Hmmm….Let me tell you a story Naruto. Once there was a hotheaded undergraduate and an arrogant professor. The professor had a theory he was promoting about the existence of interphase space that was only discovered in the last fifty years or so."

The blonde leaned back seeing the twinkle in his Mother's onyx eyes. "So what happened to the professor?" he asked eagerly.

"The professor was so conceited and confident in his theory that he challenged any of his students to disprove it." said T'Ara. "Unfortunately one of his undergraduate students was so incensed by his sheer arrogance that she took it upon herself to totally dismember his theory on every level she could think of. As it turned out the professor's theory held up fairly well from the strict views of astrophysics so the undergraduate changed her angle to quantum mechanics and found the professor's theory didn't hold up so well."

Naruto watched as his Mother recalled those days and saw her passion for science hidden behind all that logic. He hid a smile as the black haired beauty continued and said, "The undergraduate was sure she could disprove the theory but spent nearly five weeks polishing every last point of her counter arguments to his so-called _perfect_ theory. She challenged him to a debate and the professor said that he would only accept her challenge in front of the other staff and alumni of the Vulcan Science Academy Advisory Board. Such a challenge had never been issued to anyone without a full Doctoral Degree and the undergraduate was understandably shocked by such a stipulation."

"Did she accept his stipulation?" asked Naruto.

T'Ara nodded. "At first it brought her great concern but then she reasoned that if her mathematics disproved his theory to computer simulations that it was irrefutably logical that the same results would occur in front of any group of scientists regardless of their backgrounds. Having thought this through she accepted his challenge in front of the entire class of 90 students and the professor had no choice but to accept her challenge our lose a tremendous amount of face at the Academy."

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Then the professor was ensnared in a trap of his own design."

"Exactly." said T'Ara.

"So what did you do to him Mother?" asked Naruto with a raised brow.

"I destroyed Doctor Denak's _Theory of Interphase Space_ from its foundations to its very last conclusions in a three hour debate moderated by Director Sekla himself. Denak's hubris brought about his downfall and all of his taunting and harassment of his undergraduate students was brought to light. It turned out he'd done this sort of thing to many of his students over the years and the Academy Ethics Committee penalized him heavily for his behavior." She let out a contented sigh. "Looking back I could have been much more mature about it but his attitude towards those he is supposed to be _educating_ disgusts me to this day. He and I have been at odds ever since then."

The blonde grinned. "I do believe you could call it a victory then."

She ruffled Naruto's blonde hair again in her usual affectionate way. "Best of all; my son has defeated Doctor Denak as well this very day."

Naruto looked surprised and said, " _I did?_ "

T'Ara explained, "Doctor Denak took _Cochrane's Principle_ out of the computer specifically so you would fail….just to spite me after all these years. Then you shocked **_everyone_** by manually entering the formula manually within the allotted time. Everybody would have considered it an impossible task but _you did it!_ This time it wasn't just me that caught him in the act. The majority of the Proctoring Staff that he was supposed to be _leading_ has already submitted formal reports against him to both the Academy Ethics Committee and Director Sekla himself. Denak has gone too far this time but the fact you beat him at his own game makes me immensely proud of you my son. You did very well and I could not be more pleased."

….Naruto wanted to laugh. ' _I had no idea that Mother had such a vicious streak in her. I wonder if my pranking isn't from her in part_.'

T'Ara wondered about the obvious amusement in her son's blue eyes but was interrupted from asking about it because all the 87 new students were paged back inside.

….

 **T'Lyra's house**

The blue wearing girl peered out her window and thought about her blonde friend. ' _I wonder what you are doing now Naruto. Did you pass? Did you fail?_ ' she sighed. ' _Naruto must have passed. He'll be crushed if he didn't. But I'll miss him at school every day. We've known each for eight years now_.' She fiddled with her long brown hair. ' _Well, if Naruto passes I will celebrate with him. If he doesn't I will be there for him to console him. The last few days he has done his best to hide it but I could see how his muscles were wound up like a spring. He was as tense as could be. I'm worried_.'

T'Lyra's Mother came in and saw her daughter staring off into space. ' _She has it bad_.' "T'Lyra; are you thinking about Naruto again?"

The daughter whipped around surprised. "Oh, Mother! You startled me. I was just wondering how Naruto's entrance exams at the Vulcan Science Academy are going. I'd call him but the test is supposed to be an all day event. He probably has his communicator off. I'm hoping to hear from him later in the evening."

"I'm sure you'll hear from him by tomorrow." said T'Lyra's Mother. "If he doesn't pass he probably won't want to discuss it so be patient with him T'Lyra."

T'Lyra nodded. "You are correct of course. I'll leave my communicator on just in case." Her communicator beeped about that time and the blue wearing girl nearly jumped and snatched her device off the table. She nearly groaned, "It's Kesh…."

Listening to her daughter explain to Kesh that T'Lyra hadn't heard from Naruto either, T'Lyra's Mother quietly excused herself to give her daughter some privacy….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Sovar was pacing back and forth wondering how Naruto was doing while his daughter Talok played Kal-toh serenely in the living room floor. The four year old said, "Daddy, why are you worried? Naruto is so smart he should pass easily….assuming he doesn't decide to prank the proctors. Do think he will? Mama will **_not_** be happy if he does."

Naruto's Father nearly face faulted at the thought of his son pulling off something crazy and getting banned from the Vulcan Science Academy. ' _Please don't do something insane Naruto_ ….' he silently prayed.

Talok finished creating a lobsided, egg shaped sphere playing Kal-toh and chirped, "Perfect! Come look Daddy. I'll dance to celebrate!"

Sovar watched fondly as Talok did her own interpretive dance of a V-shan routine. He mused to himself, ' _I wonder if Talok could become a dancer some day? I know Mother's line had several dancers in it although none of them are as pretty as my little girl_.'

Father and daughter heard the noise of the family hovercraft as it pulled up out front. Both of them immediately shot over to the front window with identical expressions on their faces as they smushed their faces against the transparent aluminum windows to get a better look. T'Ara hopped of the hovercraft and immediately saw her husband and daughter putting hand and face prints on the front window. She would ordinarily would have been concerned with cleaning up the windows but was in too good of a mood to care at this point. Naruto got out and she immediately motioned him towards the trunk to get his school uniforms, Vulcan Science Academy tablet and the rest of the heap of things he'd received for his enrollment. The blonde's head was spinning a bit with all of his new belongings. T'Ara then led her heavily laden son into the house.

Sovar met them at the door with Talok and the little girl said, "Naruto, what's all that stuff? _Did you pass?!_ "

Naruto peered down over all of his new belongings and took them over to the couch where he set the pile down. He smiled and said, "I passed and I placed third out of the eighty-seven in my class."

Talok's onyx eyes flashed and she said in her cute little voice, "Why weren't you _first?_ " It took everything Naruto had not to face fault.

Sovar hugged Naruto and said, "That's my boy! I knew you would do well! We should celebrate."

T'Ara picked up Talok and said, "Your brother did amazingly well Talok. All things considered he did more than first and second place did. Besides, he can always move up in the rankings."

"How should we celebrate then?" T'Ara asked her family. "I was so concerned with the entry exams themselves that I didn't think about afterwards."

"We could dance!" said Talok excitedly.

"Maybe it would be better to go to a restaurant Naruto likes." said T'Ara to her daughter.

Sovar nodded, "Perhaps Naruto would like to invite his friends along. What do you think Naruto? Do you want to call T'Lyra and Kesh? I'm sure they would like to congratulate you. It isn't every day that you get into the Vulcan Science Academy."

Talok looked over and said, "Naruto?"

The blonde was sleeping peacefully on the couch….

….

The next day Naruto's family and friends celebrated the blonde's entry into a new phase of his life. For T'Lyra and Kesh it was a bittersweet time. They were immensely pleased for Naruto's sake but it was also a sign that their childhood years were quickly coming to an end….

Naruto was surrounded by extended family as well and his Grandmother Sarissa gave him some of the things from T'Ara's days at the Academy twenty years before. Naruto was very pleased with the many gifts he received. Most of them were study aids, books and other practical things for the Academy but Naruto accepted them all with gratitude.

"My son is growing up so fast." thought Sovar aloud.

Varek said to her son, "It seems like only yesterday that he passed his _Kahs-wan_. I can't believe he's moving away to the dorms. My little grandson is moving away and becoming an adult so fast!"

"He's only moving five kilometers away." said T'Ara. "Even if it's required, living in the dorms will teach him about living independently and being more responsible with his life."

"It is fortunate my old speeder bike***** was still in storage so Naruto can easily get to and from home easily." said Sovar conversationally.

"I really don't like the idea of Naruto riding that vehicle." said T'Ara. "I never felt safe with you riding it Sovar."

Sovar said, "You worry far too much wife of mine. It got me around safely for years."

"And how many times did you nearly die on that moving deathtrap?" asked T'Ara dryly.

….

 **Outside** ….

Naruto was looking over his Father's old bike. It was a rust colored vehicle that had an excessive amount of wear from being ridden hard in the desert for many years. "I'll have to get a license and bring this bike up to safety standards. It appears quite worn in areas. It seems that over a decade of sandblasting in the desert wore a lot of components out."

T'Lyra was sitting on the bike and said, "It seems you have yet another hobby to learn about Naruto. Does this bike actually run?"

"According to Father it did ten years ago when it was put in storage." said Naruto dubiously. "Whether that has any bearing on the present is debatable."

"What is this?" asked Kesh eagerly.

Naruto looked at his manual and said, "That appears to be a leaking coolant head Kesh."

Kesh scratched his chin. "What about that part?"

The blonde looked at the contraption and then raised an eyebrow before he looked back and forth at the schematics and the manual a few times. "That appears to be some sort of non-standard modification to the throttle control. I doubt it's legal." ' _Only you Father_ ….'

T'Lyra had amusement in her brown eyes. "It seems that you have a talent for spotting broken things Kesh. How ironically appropriate."

Kesh nearly face faulted before he said, "Let's fire it up Naruto. I want to hear it run."

The blue wearing girl said dubiously, "This bike looks more likely to burst into flames than start up Kesh."

"But T'Lyra…!" started the long haired boy.

"I believe T'Lyra has made a fair assessment." said Naruto. "I need to thoroughly go through the diagnostics before attempting to start it."

Kesh was obviously excited. "Well get to it man! I want to ride it."

"Considering the way you ride dzharels that might be a disaster Kesh." said T'Lyra. "Let's get it into shape so Naruto can test it out….with a proper license of course."

Naruto nodded. "That seems to be the most logical course of action. Are you both sure you want to help? I'm certain this will be a filthy job with lots of hard physical labor."

"Of course!" said T'Lyra. "It will be fun working together."

"Count me in." said Kesh.

"Then this will be my weekend project while I go to the Academy during the week." said Naruto.

Naruto's parents came out and saw the three kids examining the bike. Catching the tail end of the children's conversation T'Ara said, "Just remember your schoolwork always takes precedence over that old bike Naruto."

Sovar asked, "So have you started it up yet?"

"We've determined that it might burst into flames rather than start." said Naruto. "It would be logical to err on the side of caution."

Sovar deflated and said, "You are truly your Mother's son."

T'Ara simply gave one of her tiny smiles….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**Dzharels are just described as 'horse like creatures' so their coloration, behavior, etc. is pretty much my imagination and non canon. I'm also using horse terms mare, foal, etc. to describe them.

***Vuzh means ' _Smoke_ ' in Vulcan.

****Zefram Cochrane was the human that invented warp technology for Earth. So what is the _Cochrane Principle Theorem?_ It's a warp powered plot device your author made up.

*****I'll be expanding on the details later but it looks similar to a swoop bike in Star Wars.

Well, it seems Naruto's world has changed a great deal overnight as he is now enrolled in the Vulcan Science Academy. Next chapter Naruto will start dealing with the horrors of dorm life and having a roommate. He also will be learning to ride a speeder bike in the meantime. Will he live to tell the tale? See you next time. Blue out. 12/21/16


	6. Chapter 6

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

One last chapter to post before the year is out. Here is chapter 6. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _Kesh was obviously excited. "Well get to it man! I want to ride it."_

 _"Considering the way you ride dzharels that might be a disaster Kesh." said T'Lyra. "Let's get it into shape so Naruto can test it out….with a proper license of course."_

 _Naruto nodded. "That seems to be the most logical course of action. Are you both sure you want to help? I'm certain this will be a filthy job with lots of hard physical labor."_

 _"Of course!" said T'Lyra. "It will be fun working together."_

 _"Count me in." said Kesh._

 _"Then this will be my weekend project while I go to the Academy during the week." said Naruto._

 _Naruto's parents came out and saw the three kids examining the bike. Catching the tail end of the children's conversation T'Ara said, "Just remember your schoolwork always takes precedence over that old bike Naruto."_

 _Sovar asked, "So have you started it up yet?"_

 _"We've determined that it might burst into flames rather than start." said Naruto. "It would be logical to err on the side of caution."_

 _Sovar deflated and said, "You are truly your Mother's son."_

 _T'Ara simply gave one of her tiny smiles…._

….

Chapter 6

 **Stardate 2267.304** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

It was Sunday Naruto put the last of his belongings into their proper places and sat down on his bed to relax. It had been a rather tumultuous two days of moving his belongings from home to his new suite which was a very tranquil pale blue color. The dormitories themselves were single story and each dormitory was arranged in the most logical way possible. Every room was unnamed, unmarked and identical in shape and size. Students were expected to notice the subtle differences in orientation, color and position to determine which room was theirs. Each dormitory had a single main hall that led to the other buildings and of course was designed with impeccable order in mind.

The blonde found himself admiring the symmetry and rationality of the Academy's layout and understood why his Mother liked it so much here. Like the Forge was a second home to Sovar; the Academy was to T'Ara. He noted that every room was illuminated by natural light and the entire facility was very energy efficient. Looking out of his windows onto the campus proper Naruto saw the intricate silver and white domes with spires arranged in orderly places among them. The Academy was surrounded by tranquil, well maintained parkland and the buildings and the parks flowed harmoniously into one another. Even the lawns were perfectly maintained and each one was in a perfect geometric shape. The same could be said of the many trees and shrubs; all things were in their logical place. Naruto sighed peacefully as he took in his new surroundings….

….Until a horrendous cacophony from the next suite over nearly bowled Naruto off of his bed. He heard something like an animal howling and crashing and the blonde immediately went out to investigate. He found many other students peering out of their doors or standing outside the suite beside Naruto's. They all seemed to be puzzled and mulling around outside quietly observing. Naruto said authoritatively, "Has no one investigated this infernal noise?" Seeing everyone take a step back the blonde said, "Someone could be injured. We must investigate this situation at once." He went over and rapped on the door loudly before he said, "Can anyone hear me in there?"

The door came open and a tall, black haired human male said, "You here to join the party? You look kinda young to be here."

A redheaded human girl poked her head out through the doorway. She was laughing and smelled of alcohol. "Look at you blondie! Aren't you cuuuute? Come on in!"

"I don't think he's here to party Alison." said the male as Naruto's eyes seemed to be burning a hole in his chest.

The girl flipped her shoulder length hair back and laughed. "Of course he is! I'm Alison Fairbanks and this is my buddy Geoff Baker. Where did you get those cute whisker marks?"

Naruto felt his ears starting to hurt from what he realized was some sort of music and the smell of alcohol was bothering his sensitive nose. The smell of humans wasn't too great either (Vulcans don't sweat, humans do**). Naruto turned his burning blue eyes to Geoff's frightened brown ones and said, "Unless you want the Academy Administration to get involved I would turn that sound down a few decibels." The blonde then marched back to his room and closed the door.

Geoff cringed and Alison laughed. "I like him!" said the redhead.

Naruto went back to his suite and found that the noise level was turned down considerably though he could still hear it. ' _Of all the rooms in this Academy I have to be next door to rowdy humans. I can't help but feel this is no coincidence_.' he thought mutinously.

The blonde hybrid sighed and looked back at his school uniforms and civilian clothing he had arranged in his closet. Some people preferred the uniforms but the only time they were actually required were for formal ceremonies –and there were a _lot_ of formal ceremonies. His standard uniform was a conservative gray and black. Naruto's civilian clothing was his traditional browns, tans and blacks though he did have one set of formal robes that were a deep crimson. The represented the M'Fau clan. He was rather proud of those. Aside of that Naruto had a platinum medallion presented to him that showed he was a first year student and he was to wear it at all times at the Academy. It was emblemized with the Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations symbol*** and in the ring around it was the Golic Vulcan script for 'learn.' As the years in the Academy passed more symbols would be added in the ring around the IDIC symbol that showed each student's respective position and achievements within the organization of the Academy.

Listening to the quiet thumping of the music the music through the wall, Naruto wondered what tomorrow would bring with the start of classes….

….

 **Monday, Main Auditorium**

Naruto's first four periods of the morning classes had been preempted by a formal meeting. It had been stressful to the blonde as most of it was just things regarding decorum and rules regarding behavior for newcomers. The entire meeting seemed endless to Naruto and speech after speech explaining the hows and whys of the Academy lifestyle was imparted to the first years. ' _Gods I wish I could relax with some advanced calculus_.' thought the blonde. He had looked around for his acquaintance Senva but did not see her. He did see the human Geoff looking nervous and Alison looking amused at the morning proceedings.

After a healthy lunch in the dorm cafeteria Naruto actually went to his first class of the day. His fifth period was an hour dedicated to physical education. There were many activities to choose from but Naruto chose to join in a martial arts group and went over to a set of mats dedicated to practitioners of V'Shan. He saw Senva there getting handily defeated by an older student. ' _I didn't know she practiced V'shan_.' thought Naruto. ' _She's an advanced learner but not quite an adept yet._ '

The instructor asked, "First year, are you here to participate or observe?"

Naruto found his center and said, "I am here to participate in the V'Shan matches Master. My name is Naruto."

The instructor looked at the young hybrid oddly and said, "I am Instructor Aloran. As you are new we will need to gauge your skill level."

Naruto nodded and said, "I am prepared Master Aloran."

Aloran nodded. "You use formal speech for your martial arts. I take it you have some formal training?"

"You are correct Master, I've trained for eight years." said the spiky haired blonde. "I am a tenth level V'Shan adept."

Several eyes widened and an older student said, "That is highly improbable. Are you sure you are not a tenth level _learner?_ "

"I stand by my words." said Naruto.

"How old are you?" asked Aloran.

The blue eyed boy said, "I am thirteen. I will prove my skill to you with an appropriate sparring partner."

Master Aloran raised an eyebrow and said, "Galsh, come here. Will you test this young man?"

Galsh was two heads taller than Naruto and extremely broad and muscular. He absolutely towered over the blonde hybrid. "Galsh asked, "Instructor Aloran, you wish for me to spar with this….boy?"

Aloran nodded and Naruto walked into the ring and bowed formally. "May we have a good match."

The big student looked slightly confused but then bowed and said, "Yes, let us have a good match."

"Galsh, Naruto; begin!" said Instructor Aloran.

Naruto hit Galsh before the big man could react. Naruto kicked Galsh's feet to the right as he gripped the larger man's left hand and flipped him completely to the left causing Galsh to flip over twice. Galsh tried to recover with a foot sweep at Naruto but the blonde anticipated the move and flipped back and away from Galsh and his superior reach. Galsh got back up and shook his head. ' _I need to take this boy seriously_.' he thought. Forming two knife hands Galsh attacked with a quick and ruthless set of combos that Naruto batted aside or deflected harmlessly. Galsh went for a neck chop but Naruto caught his larger opponent's hand flipped Galsh completely over his shoulder causing the larger martial artist to land flat on his back which knocked the wind out of him.

Naruto jumped back in a fluid motion and slid into a low stance that extended his leg reach. Galsh was shaking the cobwebs out of his head from the flip. Naruto's eyes burned with determination and he charged with an open palm and hit three pressure points before he finished Galsh off with a foot sweep. Galsh was laying flat on his back again in a state of disbelief as Instructor Aloran called the match in Naruto's favor.

The blonde bowed and said, "Thank you for the match. Please allow me to unlock those nerve clusters." Galsh nodded as Naruto tapped his pressure points and caused the tension to be released. Then Naruto helped Galsh up and said, "Good spar. You are an eighth level adept, correct?"

Galsh's eyes widened, "How could you tell?"

"You lack the footwork to go with the speed of your hands." said Naruto honestly. "It is a stage we all must pass. You are quite skilled Galsh." praised Naruto.

The observers of the match were all completely dumbfounded. Instructor Aloran said, "Unlocking nerve clusters like that is a second level Master skill."

Naruto said, "I have a long way to go before I am a second level Master in V'Shan Master Aloran. I am but an adept that has much to learn."

The blonde was going to go greet Senva but was swept away by several high ranking V'Shan students that wanted Naruto's advice. He waved at her and she waved back. There was amusement in her eyes. After weathering dozens of questions Naruto managed to make it over to Senva who was watching the other students spar. She said, "It is good to see you are well. I had no idea you had such skill in the martial arts."

Naruto shrugged, "It is good to see you too. I'm in the western dormitory; where are you?"

"I'm in the opposite side of the Academy in the eastern dorm." replied Senva.

"Hey Naruto! Is this your girlfriend?" asked Alison as she materialized out of the crowd. "You kicked some serious ass out there!"

' _How did she find me?_ ' The blonde face palmed and said, "Ah Senva….This is Miss Fairbanks who lives in the same dorm I do."

"Yo; call me Alison." said the redhead. "We are next door neighbors after all."

"I thought that was Mister Geoff's room…." said Naruto dryly.

Alison shook her head. "Nope. Geoff lives on my other side. You should have partied with us. You're cool enough in my book. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My parents are both V'Shan Masters." explained the blonde hybrid. ' _Best not to mention Kareel-ifla. Most people consider it brutal. Besides, I'm better at it than V'Shan_.'

Alison turned to Senva and said, "So Miss Senva; are you Naruto's girlfriend?"

Senva blushed a tiny bit. "He and I just met at the entrance exams. I am not his girlfriend."

"Then you don't mind if I take him as my study buddy?" asked Alison.

"Study buddy…?" asked both Naruto and Senva with identical flat tones.

Alison said conspiratorially, "You passed _with honors_. I looked that up and that's something that only happens only every fifty or sixty years. Given you placed third I can safely assume that you are some kind of genius at _something_. Rumor has it you blew the staff away on _astrophysics_ Naruto." She waggled her eyebrows. "Am I right?"

Naruto's blue eyes widened a tiny bit but inside he was panicking. ' _By the gods; I have a_ _ **human stalker!**_ ' "Ahem; it is not logical to speculate just on rumors. I would be curious as to where you obtained this information."

"A girl is entitled to her secrets." said the redhead with a smile like the cat that ate the canary. "We have Astrophysics and Quantum Theory together this afternoon so I'll see you then." Alison then spun on her heel and walked off energetically.

Naruto thought aloud, "How could she know my class schedule? This is most disturbing…."

"Indeed it is." agreed Senva as her comment rattled him out of his thoughts. "I too have Astrophysics this afternoon. What period do you have yours?"

"I have Astrophysics with Professor Iria during my seventh period." answered Naruto.

"Excellent." said Senva. "I shall see you there. I need to get to my sixth period. You probably should get to yours as well." Senva then departed.

….

Naruto was astounded at the intensity of his sixth period. ' _Somehow I expected Writing and Literature to be relaxing. Professor Kawarda runs her class in an almost militaristic fashion. I already have a report due Friday on passages from the_ _Logic of the Forge_.' He sighed. ' _What a heavy piece of reading to squeeze into a single week_.'

The blonde walked into the Astrophysics Lecture Hall and immediately felt himself relax at the many mathematical formulas written on the walls as well as laws and advanced theories. "Much better." he whispered to himself. Within minutes everyone had arrived and had picked a random learning station. He was soon greeted by Senva who took a station to his right and Alison who took a station on his left by rudely asking someone else to move. The redhead waved and grinned. Naruto thought, ' _Curse my blonde hair. I'm so easy to spot_.'

While Naruto was lamenting his spiky blonde locks; Professor Iria walked in and stood before the class. She was a tall and imposing Vulcan woman. "I bid you greetings. I am Professor Iria and I am the new head of the Astrophysics Department with Doctor Denak's retirement." She looked directly at Naruto for a split second but her expression was unreadable. "I have high expectations for this class since we have both the second and third ranked members of the first year class here. Miss Alison Fairbanks and Mister Naruto M'Fau will no doubt be leading our class in scoring so if you need extra tutoring you might consider asking them. Please raise your hands for the others you two."

As he raised his hand Naruto's blue eyes nearly rolled out of his head as Alison's green ones sparkled with mirth. Senva likewise was doing her best not to gawk like all the other students were.

"You may lower your hands." said Professor Iria. She pointed towards the main holographic display and said, "Direct your attention to the main display class. Today we will discuss the very basics of warp theory (which you **_all_** should know by now) so you may all become acclimated to the way this class is organized…."

Naruto watched distressed as various students were studying him carefully. He felt nervous at being singled out and put on the spot but Alison was happily soaking up the attention she was getting….

….

"This is so awesome!" said Alison as she walked towards the Quantum Physics class together with Naruto. "Not only does Professor Iria like us, she acknowledged us in front of the other students!"

"I felt it was rather rude." replied the blonde. "I wonder what her agenda is…."

The redhead chuckled. "We're two of the three top scoring students in our year. What do you mean agenda?"

Naruto sighed. "Vulcans value their privacy. For her to call us out in front of the other students she must have a logical reason…." He shook his head. "Changing topics, considering you have a higher score than I do on the entrance exams; why do you need me to study with you? I'm quite sure you could pass without me."

Alison smiled weakly. "I'm all alone here and it's hard to find people that I can be friends with. I've always been too smart for other people so most people avoid me."

Naruto saw her green eyes had a sadness in them and said quietly, "I'll be your study partner then. I know it's hard to be alone from experience."

The redhead glomped him in a massive hug and said, "Great; we'll knock them all dead!"

For his part Naruto was blushing green and was too mortified to speak at such a blatantly emotional display….

….

Naruto's first day of class was over and he made it back to his suite and sat down. "What an exhausting day…." he thought aloud. Getting out his tablet; Naruto went through the files and brought up the first chapter of Surak's _Logic of the Forge_. He went through the introduction and thought to himself, ' _This is no way to enjoy Surak's teachings. This is like having the data shoved into your brain like_ -' There was a rattle noise and then a thumping at his door. "What is it now…?" growled the blonde. He got up and said, "Unlock."

The door immediately slid open and Geoff Baker fell in the doorway with an " _Oof!_ "

Geoff looked up and saw Naruto's feet, black robes, medallion and finally the blonde's rather stern face and blazing blue eyes. "May I help you Mister Geoff?" Naruto asked the black haired young man.

See Naruto's rather intense look, Geoff said; "I'm sorry Naruto; I thought this was my room." He gave Naruto a weak smile. "Sorry about that."

Naruto held out his hand and pulled Geoff to his feet. As the blonde looked at the tall and lanky boy he said, "There is no need to be so timid Geoff. It isn't like I'm going to hurt you."

Geoff scratched his neck nervously and said, "I felt kind of bad about disturbing you with the loud music yesterday. Thanks for not reporting us. Alison is kind of out of control."

The blonde motioned towards a seat and said, "Tea?"

The human boy looked surprised and said, "Sure, thank you."

Naruto served some tea from his food replicator and said, "Tea out of a food replicator is a poor substitute for home brewed tea but it's all I have to serve I'm afraid."

Geoff took a sip and said, "It's good." The two young men said in silence as the sipped their tea and the dark haired boy asked, "So how are your classes? Alison said she has three class periods with you. She seemed really tickled."

The blonde sat his tea aside and said, "Yes, we have Physical Education, Astrophysics and Quantum Physics together. She seemed pleased."

"She seems to really like you." said Geoff. "I wouldn't stand a chance with her." the young man shrugged. "I think you're her type."

Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow. "Her _type?_ I'm not familiar with your meaning. I assume that's a Terran phrase?"

Geoff chuckled, "I mean you're the type of guy she finds attractive; like a boyfriend."

"You mean you aren't her boyfriend Geoff?" asked Naruto puzzled. "You were in her room and she was-"

"Alison says I'm too old and too wimpy." said Geoff. "Besides, she's a genius and I barely made it in. I'm at the bottom of our class of 87."

The blonde asked, "How old are you? I'm thirteen and you don't look old to me."

"I'm almost eighteen; Alison is fourteen." explained Geoff. "On top of that I'm already balding. It's kind of embarrassing."

"It's simple genetics." said Naruto. "I fail to see why it would be a source of discomfort for you. Isn't baldness a common thing among human males?"

Geoff smiled, "Some men lose their hair later in life but I'm very young so it makes me look older."

Naruto picked up his cup and took a sip of tea. "You are very self conscious about yourself. You should focus on the positives rather than the negatives. You must be very intelligent or you wouldn't have made it into the Vulcan Science Academy to begin with. Adhere to your strengths to overcome your weaknesses. That's what my parents taught me."

"You seem awfully wise for someone that's thirteen Naruto." said Geoff. "Thanks for the tea. I'm two rooms south right?"

"You are welcome -and you are two rooms north." said Naruto as he showed Geoff to the door and pointed north. "Have a good night." said Naruto as the black haired young man went to his room. ' _Now to get back to my reading_ ….'

….

 **Stardate 2267.310** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

 _Personal Log: My first week at the Vulcan Science Academy has been quite tumultuous. My original plans to go home this weekend and work on Father's old bike with T'Lyra and Kesh have been completely dismembered faster than you could say 'homework.' T'Lyra in particular seemed distressed over the situation. When I mentioned I was helping my new study partners and that two of them were female; she told me a piece of Vulcan wisdom that was imparted to her by her Mother. "All women are insane and all men are stupid." I've been pondering this matter for several hours and I have yet to figure out the logic behind it. Perhaps I should ask my Mother for advice on this matter…._

 _On an unconnected note I have finally perfected the spiraling sphere or 'Rasengan' that is pure shape manipulation of my chakra. I need to test its capabilities as it is combat oriented. I have come to the conclusion that these ancestral memories are gradually being unlocked as I grow stronger physically and spiritually. It is a difficult concept to conceive at this point but my most recent 'memory dreams' have been of a technique called the shadow clone. I believe it could unlock possibilities that quite literally defy the laws of conventional physics. Of course, chakra in general is a mystery that Mother and I have yet to unravel other than it is an evolutionary step towards controlling the body's bioelectric energy. I wish I had more time to dedicate to studying chakra but my various Professors' current goal in life seems to be burying me alive in homework. Just as bad; due to Professor Iria's announcement I have numerous Astrophysics students that have asked me for guidance…._

The blonde put down his tablet. "Mother is correct. Keeping a personal log does help organize one's thoughts at the beginning of the day. I will have to thank her for the advice. Now to have a quiet breakf-" He heard a pounding on his door. ' _Oh what the_ _ **hell**_ _is it now?!_ ' he growled mentally.

Naruto opened his door to the overzealous Alison who said with characteristic cheerfulness, "Good morning blondie! Ready for another exciting day?"

"My plans for a peaceful morning of reflection have been shot down in flames." lamented the blonde hybrid.

Alison laughed. "Who needs a boring morning of reflection when you can have a whole day of excitement with me?! Besides, poor Geoff needs our help."

' _Ugh. Urge to prank, rising. There will be a reckoning red. Just you wait_ ….' thought Naruto darkly.

….

 **Alison's Suite, after lunch**

"It's bloody impossible!" cried Geoff.

Naruto said, "No, it's genetics. You have the same Professor I do Geoff. This is basic stuff."

"I think Professor T'Par hates me." lamented the dark haired boy.

"It's just chromosomal drift between species." said Senva. When you crossbreed animals then the resulting hybrid will be unique."

Alison grinned. "They are talking about you again Naruto." The blonde just shrugged.

Geoff snapped his fingers. "No wonder! I guess that's why you understand this stuff so well huh Naruto?"

"Considering half of me is Vulcan and the other half is unknown then yes, I've studied genetics with my Mother extensively." said Naruto.

"Unknown?" asked Senva. "Everyone assumed you were half human like Ambassador Sarek's famous son Spock."

"What are you then?" asked Alison curiously as her green eyes stared intently at Naruto. "Is that why you have those cute whisker marks?"

Geoff scolded, "Alison, don't be rude."

"But I want to know!" replied the inquisitive redhead.

"My species is unknown." said Naruto. "The whisker birthmarks do seem to come from that side though. It's mainly classified by Starfleet so I don't talk about it."

Senva looked very curious. "Then you really don't know? That must be very unsettling."

"It is vexing sometimes but my parents have always treated me as a normal Vulcan child." explained Naruto. "I've just always been a bit different in appearance."

"Rats; I was hoping you'd have some cool abilities outside of normal Vulcans." said Alison in a disappointed tone.

Naruto's eyes glittered. "You mean like walking up walls and across ceilings in defiance of gravity?"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Alison.

"You have quite an imagination there Naruto." said Geoff.

"It sounded like something Alison would appreciate." said the blonde.

Senva said, "Perhaps we should get back to our genetics homework. Professor T'Par expects it to be completed first thing Monday morning."

….

 **Gymnasium, the next morning**

Sunday morning Naruto was up early and was at the gymnasium practicing his V-Shan routine with his new friend Galsh as Master Aloran observed. "You need to relax your stances more Galsh." advised the blonde. "Find your center and release your mind and body from their confines. Naruto gently stretched at and impossible angle into a handstand. Then he flipped back into a standing position.

"Forgive me Naruto but that was not V'Shan." said Galsh in a puzzled tone.

Naruto nodded. "Correct. I see no reason to limit oneself to a single style."

Galsh asked, "What martial art was that then?"

Instructor Aloran commented, "Unless I am mistaken that was one of the exercises to build upper body strength in the style of Kareel-ifla."

"Kareel-ifla is said to be absolutely brutal." said Galsh in a concerned tone.

"It is also incredibly effective regardless of its reputation for being barbaric." said the blonde. "My Father is a sixth level Master at Kareel-ifla Master Aloran."

Aloron's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "A sixth level Master? What does he think of you mixing moves of different martial arts?"

Naruto hid his amusement at Aloran's reaction. "Father always found my style to be unpredictable and innovative. He has always approved ever since he started training me out in Forge."

"You've trained in the Forge?" asked Galsh. "That sounds very harsh."

"Ever since I was five years old." said Naruto. "I got beat up rather badly by other children so Father and Mother trained me in their respective arts. Mother is a second level Master in V'Shan so she is no pushover."

Aloran waved the two boys over to sit with him and have some tea. After the three sat down together the Master asked, "So what level would you say you are at in Kareel-ifla?"

"I currently hold the rank of a second level Master in Kareel-ifla." said Naruto. "It actually comes more natural to me than V'Shan."

Galsh took a sip of tea. "I'm surprised you never mentioned this before." said the big young man.

Naruto shrugged. "Kareel-ifla has a reputation that precedes it. Many people have the misconception that practitioners of Kareel-ifla are uncivilized so I rarely discuss it."

"That is a logical bit of reasoning Naruto." said Aloran in approval. "That being said; I have observed Kareel-ifla matches and they are quite brutal to watch. Neither Galsh or I will mention this to others."

Galsh nodded in agreement and Naruto said, "I thank you. What do you say we get back to our V'Shan practice…?"

….

 **Naruto's Suite**

After practice, Naruto was talking to T'lyra on his communicator. "I am glad to hear from you T'Lyra. You seemed frustrated when we last spoke. Is everything alright?"

"Something rather drastic has happened." said T'Lyra in a strained voice. "I would like to see you in person to relate the news as it is of a sensitive nature."

Noting the stress in his friend's voice the blonde pulled out his tablet and said, "I can come out via transport bus this evening at six. I can take one back here at nine. Will that be enough time T'Lyra?"

"It should be enough." said the blue wearing girl. ""I'm sorry to interrupt your studies but-"

"If you deem it necessary then I will be there." Naruto said with a tone of finality. "I trust your logic on these matters. Where do you want to meet?"

"My house would be best." said T'Lyra.

"Very well; I will see you this evening." replied Naruto.

….

 **Cafeteria**

The group of four study partners was having breakfast together. "And so I propose we use we use Naruto's room instead of mine today." said Alison. "With all my stuff it's a bit crowded."

"That seems logical." said Senva. "The excessive clutter in your room _is_ distracting." ' _Not to mention it smells like humans_ ….'

"Hey! I like my room." defended the redhead. "It's a work in progress."

"It looks more like a starship's crash sight." commented Geoff.

"Shut up before I hurt you Geoff." said Alison. "My room isn't _that_ bad."

Geff said, "Off topic, but how come Vulcan last names are so hard to say?"

 _Maat fau_ isn't that hard to say. It's Golic Vulcan for _clan who rides, The Riders_." said Naruto.

"Mayat-fow?" asked Geoff.

"Forget I said anything." said Naruto in a flat tone.

"What about your name Senva?" asked Alison. "I want to hear Geoff completely butcher it too." she said with a snort.

Senva sighed. "My Clan name is _t'oluhk (maat)_ which is old Golic for _of the snake (clan)_."

"Go ahead and say it Geoff!" said Alison with huge eyes. "This I've got to hear!

Geoff said in a pouting tone, "I'm not even _trying_ with that one."

….

Naruto said, "On an unconnected note I will be out this evening until after nine so we can study in my room till about six."

"Is everything alright?" asked Senva.

"A friend of mine has urgent news so I am going to see her." explained Naruto.

"I hope all is well." said the Vulcan girl.

"As do I." the blonde replied gravely.

….

 **Naruto's Suite**

"You have hardly any decorations at all Naruto." said Alison with a sweat drop. "This room of yours is utterly boring. You don't even have any pictures…."

Naruto sighed, "We are here to study; not to critique my living space."

"It is clean and efficient." commented Senva. "Everything seems to be in a logical order."

The blonde nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."

Geoff was looking at a small holographic projector on the nightstand beside Naruto's bed. "Wow Naruto; who is this total babe? She's hot! Is she your girlfriend?"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. " _That would be my_ _ **Mother**_ , Geoff. The projector scrolls through different members of my family."

Alison exploded into laughter as Geoff blushed madly in embarrassment. We the redhead got herself under control she watched as the holographic projector scrolled through Sovar, T'Ara, Talok and then a picture of the whole family together including Naruto. "Well, in Geoff's defense, Naruto's Mom is smokin' hot."

"S-shut up Alison!" cried Geoff.

"Let's just do our homework…." said Senva.

Naruto nodded and said, "I am in full agreement Senva."

….

 **ShiKhar District, T'Lyra's House**

Naruto quietly knocked on the door a T'Lyra's residence at six-thirty in the evening. T'Lyra's Mother answered the door and said, "Naruto, welcome. We've been waiting for you. There is much to be discussed."

The blonde quietly entered and took off his sandals. "Thank you for inviting me into your home. T'Lyra sounded stressed when she called so I came as soon as I could make arrangements."

T'Lyra came out of the back and said, "Naruto; I'm so glad you are here. Please join me in my room. I'll get us some tea."

Naruto was soon sitting at a small table for tea that T'Lyra had in her room to entertain guests. He took a sip of tea and cringed slightly. ' _T'Lyra's Mother must have made this_.'

The blue wearing girl said, "My Mother made the tea. I'm not sure what flavor it is." T'Lyra took a delicate sip and got an extremely sour look on her face. "Perhaps we should skip this tea. It seems quite unpalatable. I can't even tell what flavor it is."

"Ah, that is an excellent idea." said Naruto. He looked at T'Lyra and so how tired she looked. "Tell me what happened T'Lyra? You seem very stressed."

T'Lyra sighed. "Where do I start?" She pondered a moment and said, "Arev is out of therapy and visited this morning. I'm afraid that he is damaged."

"Damaged?" asked the blonde. "Do you mean in a physical or mental way?"

The brown haired girl said, "After two years of private therapy Arev decided to embrace the path of emotionalism over logic."

Naruto's blue eyes goggled. " _What?!_ But that's absurd! What do his parents think?"

"His parents are very distraught and have all but disowned him." explained T'Lyra. "For obvious reasons my engagement to him is broken off. He grew very angry when I declared this and he threatened me. He said I belong to him and when his Pon Farr comes around he will seek me out whether I agree to it or not. I am very concerned he will carry out his threat and he acts unstable and unbalanced. Everyone has urged him to go back into therapy for his own sake but he is convinced that emotional control can only be accomplished by _experiencing_ emotions. His display was vulgar and illogical. I don't know if his parents will be able to keep him as he's already spoken of leading a nomadic life with others that reject Surak's teachings. His parents already indicated that they did not wish to let him influence his younger siblings."

Naruto reached out and grasped T'Lyra's hands with his own larger ones. "I will protect you from him T'Lyra. Arev will never touch you if I have a say in it."

T'Lyra gently squeezed Naruto's hands. "Arev hates you and wants you dead Naruto. He said so himself. He also hates Kesh but not to the same extent. You must be cautious Naruto. I do not want you to be hurt by him….Arev has become a monster."

"If Arev attacks me or anyone I care for then I won't hold back." said Naruto in an iron tone.

"You mean you would actually use your chakra?" asked T'Lyra.

Naruto nodded. "If he tries to hurt you in any way T'Lyra; I will put him down like the sick animal he is. I won't let him touch you."

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto got back to his suite at nine-thirty and sat wondering what exactly happened to Arev. T'Lyra's parents explained to Naruto that the engagement was mutually broken between Arev and T'Lyra's parents which put the blue wearing girl in the position of being thirteen and unbonded. Regardless of this fact; Arev had been completely enraged and apparently was dragged out of T'Lyra's house by his own very mortified Father….

' _It isn't like Arev was ever any sort of friend to me_.' thought the blonde. ' _Other than taunting me from day one and attacking me we are barely acquaintances. I saved his life and it made him mad. Perhaps he was disturbed all along and rebelled completely during his therapy. How disturbing_.' Naruto showered and changed into his night clothes. He thought aloud, "If Arev tries to harm T'Lyra in any way there will be no power in the world that can save him from me."

Naruto slept uneasily that night dreaming of assassination techniques from his ancestral memories. Whether he knew it or not his dreams would prepare the blonde for anything….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**Vulcan noses were sensitive enough to the body odors of humans to require nasal numbing agents in some cases.

***Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations symbol: The IDIC symbol represents the basis of Vulcan philosophy, celebrating the vast array of variables in the universe.

Well, this chapter winds up 2016 for me. It ended on a darker note than originally planned but it was a good stopping point. Naruto's first week of school was hectic and he's made several new friends in the process. Arev once again reared his ugly head and it seems the boy has gone over the deep end. There aren't that many "Vulcans without Logic" but they are out there. Some are fairly well adjusted individuals (like Spock's half brother Sybok) but it seems that Arev isn't one of them. Now when is Naruto going to get a chance to work on that bike? See you next time. Blue out. 12/31/16


	7. Chapter 7

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Continual DSL problems have kept me from posting lately. Things still aren't fixed so I'm posting from work again. Expect more **Curse of the Ryugan** soon. Here is chapter 7. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _"If Arev attacks me or anyone I care for then I won't hold back." said Naruto in an iron tone._

 _"You mean you would actually use your chakra?" asked T'Lyra._

 _Naruto nodded. "If he tries to hurt you in any way T'Lyra; I will put him down like the sick animal he is. I won't let him touch you."_

 _…._

 ** _Vulcan Science Academy_**

 _Naruto got back to his suite at nine-thirty and sat wondering what exactly happened to Arev. T'Lyra's parents explained to Naruto that the engagement was mutually broken between Arev and T'Lyra's parents which put the blue wearing girl in the position of being thirteen and unbonded. Regardless of this fact; Arev had been completely enraged and apparently was dragged out of T'Lyra's house by his own very mortified Father…._

 _'_ _It isn't like Arev was ever any sort of friend to me_ _.' thought the blonde. '_ _Other than taunting me from day one and attacking me we are barely acquaintances. I saved his life and it made him mad. Perhaps he was disturbed all along and rebelled completely during his therapy. How disturbing_ _.' Naruto showered and changed into his night clothes. He thought aloud, "If Arev tries to harm T'Lyra in any way there will be no power in the world that can save him from me."_

 _Naruto slept uneasily that night dreaming of assassination techniques from his ancestral memories. Whether he knew it or not his dreams would prepare the blonde for anything…._

Chapter 7

 **Stardate 2267.316** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto woke up Monday morning with the knowledge of several ways to kill a person both armed and unarmed and wondered if he should have his head examined. -By Friday he knew **_dozens_** of ways. The blonde felt he would have to practice these moves in order to make sure he had mastery over them so he wouldn't use them instinctually like so many moves. On the positive side Naruto could see each move with absolute clarity as if he had a deeply ingrained memory of every one of them. Like the many chakra techniques in his arsenal Naruto knew this was an ancestral memory. ' _Just what_ _ **were**_ _my people, assassins?_ ' wondered the blonde. The concept made sense. "I need to talk to Mother and Father about this." he thought aloud.

After recording his morning personal log and having a light breakfast; Naruto reviewed his Genetics & Biology homework for his first session of class with Professor T'Par. While Naruto enjoyed T'Par's manner of teaching with rapid fire questions and answers expected; his friend Geoff was terrified of the woman. Often Naruto ended up helping Geoff with homework because the young human man tended to get nerve wracked. Senva and Alison had Professor T'Par for their third class session together so they had the same homework at least. Naruto had a slight advantage that he already studied genetics intensively with his Mother because of the blonde's hybrid nature. (T'Ara had a Master's Degree in Xenobiology)

Naruto soon was dressed and put on his platinum Academy medallion. Exiting his suite for class, the blonde stepped out in the hall and felt his fighting instincts roar to life. Naruto suddenly heard yelling and screaming coming from the south. He saw an animal running down the hallway; it reminded him of a Le-matya in a way. It was some sort of big hunting cat and was white with blue spots. In the back of his mind he heard others calling out in warning that the beast was dangerous and to get away. It growled at him and Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra. The massive creature paused for a moment and then lunged at the blonde hybrid. Naruto hit the cat with an axe kick on top of its head that sent it crashing to the floor senseless. The big cat stumbled back and put its paws on its head. It hunkered down and meowed in deference. Naruto said, "Don't you move one centimeter. I know you're scared but attacking others will do you no good."

About that time a Vulcan three Andorian guards arrived with stun guns and other gear to subdue the creature and stood gawking as Naruto scolded the 300kgs of solid muscle, teeth and claws as if it was a common house pet. Both Alison and Geoff saw what happened through their cracked doors and were wide eyed and speechless. So was everyone else who witnessed the blonde's actions which was a good chunk of the western dorm….After the caretakers took the animal back with them to captivity Naruto found out it was an Andorian predator called a grayth and the animal had apparently escaped its confines after some sort of medical examination…."If I was taken to another world and poked and prodded I'd want to escape too." was all Naruto had to say about the whole incident.

Alison on the other hand was ecstatic about it. "Naruto; that was amazing! How did you know how to subdue that grayth? I mean, it was only one hit….Have you studied grayth biology?"

Naruto sighed. "I didn't even know what a grayth was until after I knocked it down and they restrained it. Most predators back off when they realize a stronger predator is near. I gave it the impression I was an apex predator; that's all."

" _That's all?_ " asked Geoff in disbelief. "I'd have been running in terror."

The blonde said, "All creatures fit into an ecosystem with an apex predator at the top. The best way to deal with such creatures is to convince them they are completely outclassed."

"You make it sound so elementary." deadpanned Geoff.

"I _still_ say it was tremendous!" said Alison as they headed off towards their first sessions of class….

….

 **Alumni Lecture/Debate Hall**

Later that morning T'Ara was giving a short presentation on Quantum Mechanics and when she found out that her co-presenter had been unavoidably delayed. Her co-presenter was an Astrodynamicist and Astrophysicist and together they'd been working on a warp theory tentatively called _transwarp_. Basically the concept was overlapping warp fields shifting places in turn to increase current warp speeds. As it stood the power consumption, size and cost made the idea prohibitive but proving the _theory_ and generating discussion was the goal here; not selling a working product. At any rate the lecture was received well though it ran short because T'Ara didn't have a copy of all of her counterpart's notes. '…. _Damn stubborn Tellarite_ ….' thought the onyx eyed beauty.

Having some unexpected time on her hands T'Ara knew it was close to lunchtime and decided to see if her son was in the Western Dorm Cafeteria that Naruto mentioned he usually ate in. As she glided down the halls soaking up memories of her own time in the Academy she started hearing rumors of a student frightening a zoo animal, (an Andorian grayth of all things) into obedience and that he did it completely unarmed. ' _Now I have to find my son just to see what he's been up to. He can even make dorm life an adventure. What_ _ **are**_ _we going to do with you Naruto?'_ she thought with a gleam of mischief in her onyx eyes….

….

 **Western Dorm Cafeteria**

After their morning class sessions Naruto and his friends were having lunch together. The Academy rumor mill was in full swing. The fact Naruto's spiky blonde hair sticking out like a sore thumb did not help. Alison was _still_ excited about the situation with the grayth. "I wish I'd recorded it on my tablet. You were so awesome Naruto!" gushed the redhead. "I'm surprised you haven't been interviewed yet."

Geoff nodded. "It had to be seen to be believed. I bet the Media Team is very interested."

"I truly hope I'm not interviewed." groused Naruto. He'd already done his best to avoid the Academy Media Team. Being a hybrid had them all rather curious about the blonde to begin with.

"I heard the rumors about the grayth being loose in the Academy but I wasn't sure what to think until Geoff explained the situation to me." said Senva. "From what I've heard it is part of an Andorian travelling zoo and the animals are going to be here at the Vulcan Science over the next three weeks. Logically they should improve their security if this is going to take place. Having an animal escape captivity before the actual display has taken place is not a very promising start."

"It might be better to have the display in a more controlled environment like the Zoo in ShiKhar City's Old Quarter." said Naruto. "They have an impeccable safety record."

A beautiful Vulcan woman in formal crimson robes of the M'Fau clan walked up and said, "Ah Naruto, there you are my son." She wore and Academy Medallion that had masses of symbols on it including three doctorates and a number of lesser degrees. "I came to the Academy to give a presentation to the Alumni only to find out you frightened a full grown grayth into submission. Hasn't fighting Le matyas in the Forge curbed your appetite for that sort of entertainment?" Humor glimmered in T'Ara's onyx eyes as she saw her son cringe in embarrassment.

"Hello Mother." said Naruto. "It is good to see you are well. I wasn't aware you would be here today."

T'Ara explained, "One of the other speakers was unable to appear and I found myself with unexpected time on my hands. When I heard all sorts of rumors about a student taming a grayth with just a glare I knew it had to be you. It was easy to confirm given you are a blonde. May I join you?"

Naruto stood up. "Certainly Mother; allow me to introduce my fellow classmates." Naruto quickly introduced Alison, Senva and Geoff.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am." said Geoff with a slight blush. ' _She's really beautiful_.' he thought dreamily.

Senva said, "It is an honor to meet you Mrs. M'Fau." ' _I see were Naruto got his facial expressions_.'

"Naruto was amazing! He took out that grayth in one hit." said Alison excitedly. "I'm Alison; you have so much on your Medallion. Are those three doctorates?"

T'Ara raised an eyebrow in an identical fashion as her son. ' _What an exuberant girl. Reminds me of my days in Starfleet_.' "You translate Golic Vulcan well Miss Alison. Yes, I hold three doctorates. I specialize in Quantum Physics primarily."

"I wondered why Naruto had such talent in that area." said Senva conversationally.

T'Ara looked over at Naruto and said, "Naruto's talents lean more towards Astrophysics actually. He will exceed me before he graduates."

Naruto blushed and said, "You don't know that Mother."

T'Ara hid her tiny smile and enjoyed listening to the banter of Naruto and his classmates while she ate….

….

 **Geoff's Suite, that evening**

"Well it's a no wonder you are so cute when your Mom looks like _that_ Naruto." said Alison. (Naruto blushed slightly) "She's beautiful. I thought Geoff was going to melt into goo looking at her."

Geoff blushed madly at Alison's banter. He squeaked out, "Was it that obvious?"

Senva nodded and said, "Yes, it was quite apparent. It's only a natural reaction to an attractive member of the opposite sex….at least for a human I believe. I'm still studying such things in Xenopsychology."

The black haired young man looked to Naruto for support but the blonde said, "I was intentionally ignoring the situation at the time."

Alison laughed and Senva was amused. They were both enjoying teasing the boys….

….

 **Stardate 2267.317** **,** **T'Ara and Sovar's house, garage**

Naruto burned the midnight oil and got most of his homework done the night before. He caught a transport home in the morning and was soon looking over Sovar's bike he was planning to restore. The blonde contacted Kesh who had been shanghaied into helping help his Father but T'Lyra was available and soon was knocking on the garage door where Naruto was looking over the bike's specifications with a critical eye on his data pad. Naruto was jolted out of his thoughts and saw T'lyra standing there beaming at him. His brain promptly short circuited at that point.

Rather than her usual blue robes T'Lyra wa wearing a snug gray sleeveless work shirt and matching pants. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a tight braid so she could work. Her very practical work outfit also showed off all of the teenage girl's well developed feminine curves. Being a hybrid Naruto was of several minds:

Naruto's logical, Vulcan side thought, ' _T'Lyra's quite the mammal_.'

His teenage boy side thought, ' _She's been hiding_ _ **all that**_ _under those loose blue robes?!_ '

The blonde boy's base instincts simply screamed ' ** _WOMAN!_** '

T'Lyra noticed Naruto's heated stare and asked, "Is everything alright Naruto?" She was feeling a little self conscious under his scrutiny.

Naruto mentally slapped himself and said, "I guess I've never seen you wear anything but blue. It took me off guard."

T'Lyra said, "I guess I really do favor blue as it is my favorite. This outfit seemed more logical given how dirty we are going to get."

"Ah, of course." agreed Naruto. ' _I will be driven to distraction with all those soft curves on display. I need to focus on the bike_ ….'

….

"According to the specs all we should have had to do to drop the engine was disconnect all the wiring and remove those four bolts." said T'Lyra in a puzzled tone. "Why is it unmoving?"

"Perhaps it's rusted together." said Naruto from under the bike. He had a work light and was looking at the underside of the repulsor engine. "T'Lyra, There are four metal straps holding the engine to the right side of the frame still. It's all bent. I don't think they belong there."

T'Lyra slid underneath the bike with Naruto and started comparing the straps to the diagram on her tablet. As she looked at the puzzle Naruto couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was becoming. ' _Her lips look so soft_ ….' thought the blonde.

The brown haired girl said, "Naruto; the right frame is supposed to be straight and is bent inwards. She turned her face to him and said, "Those straps are a non standard modification I'm afraid. They need to be removed."

Naruto stared at the straps and said, "More of Father's work no doubt….Let me get a couple of adjustable wrenches and some rust remover. These straps are rusted solid."

T'Lyra was soon sitting back while Naruto battled with _the infernal straps_ as he called them. After nearly a half an hour of struggling Naruto removed the last strap only to find the engine _still_ wouldn't lower. Both teens were getting frustrated at this point. "Take a break and let me look under there with the diagrams Naruto." said T'Lyra. "I'll run some comparisons. It's probably the bent frame."

Naruto sighed as he slid out from under the bike covered in grease and dirt. He had a big stripe across his face that looked hysterical to T'Lyra. She hid her tiny smile behind the data pad and said, "You might want to wipe your face." as she handed him a towel. The brunette quickly slipped under the bike where she could silently laugh at Naruto's expense and look at the diagrams.

"….The bent frame is in the way and we have no tools to bend it back." reported T'Lyra. "Are there any tools designed for such a task?"

Naruto glared at the obstinate frame and said. "I'll bend it back myself T'Lyra. Stand back." Once T'Lyra was clear he braced himself and used chakra to enhance his strength. T'Lyra watched as she admired Naruto's muscles ripple under his black tee-shirt. ' _All that lean muscle and those amazing blue eyes_ ….' She was on the verge of drooling when the frame slowly but surely started to give and finally was bent back roughly where it was supposed to be. "There." said Naruto "Let's try dropping the engine now T'Lyra."

Shaken out of her stupor; T'Lyra blushed and said, "Hold on and I'll lower the jack." Then the engine _finally_ dropped. Both teenagers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's take a break." said Naruto tiredly. "I am hungry. I'll bet you are too."

….

The pair cleaned up a bit and ate some lunch out in the garage. That was when Naruto's family got home from shopping and Sovar said, "How is it going kids? It looks like you got the engine out easily enough."

Naruto gave his Father a withering stare and said, "Once we got those four rusted, corroded straps off and I bent the right side of the frame out again it was a _simple_ task to drop the engine. _How_ did you manage to mangle the mainframe that badly?"

"It was a physics experiment." said T'Ara. "Your Father tried to ram an immovable object and ended up in the hospital with a concussion."

"I didn't want to be late for a date with your Mother and hit a boulder when I took a turn too fast." admitted Sovar.

" _A boulder?!_ " asked Naruto dumbfounded. "And how are you still alive Father?"

T'Ara had humor in her onyx eyes. "We had a pleasant date in the Emergency Room. Your Father was back on his bike within a week though."

"That's when I strapped it back together to make sure the engine didn't vibrate its way free." explained Sovar. Seeing the deadpan stares of disbelief from Naruto and T'Lyra, Sovar said, "I think I'll get these groceries put away." He quickly went into the house.

"I'd best help Sovar with the groceries." said T'Ara with a twinkle in her eye. "You never know what kind of trouble he will get into with Talok _helping_ him."

….

Later that afternoon Naruto escorted T'lyra home and they agreed to continue their work tomorrow. Naruto came home and thoroughly scrubbed himself clean in the shower before he joined his family for dinner and a few rounds of poker afterwards. "You should come home more Naruto. It's not as fun to play Kal-toh without you here with me." said Talok as she drew a card with a cute look of total concentration on her face.

Naruto drew a card himself. "I wish I could Talok but school at the Vulcan Science Academy keeps me very busy and I don't have as much spare time as I'd like."

Talok replied, "It's still more fun when you are here. -OH!" She laid her cards on the table. "I call; straight flush. Beat that." said the little girl triumphantly.

Everyone else epically face faulted…. ' _Utterly crushed by a five year old_ ….' lamented Naruto and his parents.

….

 **T'Lyra's house**

The blue wearing girl was thoroughly clean and had a late dinner with her parents. They were discussing the rather dire situation with Arev. T'Lyra's Mother Anauk and her husband Falor were concerned about their daughter's safety.

"It would be in your best interest if we arranged a new bonding due to your broken engagement with Arev." said Falor.

Anauk explained, "Your Father and I believe that Arev might consider you off limits if a new betrothal is in place. He would be honor bound to leave you alone."

T'Lyra frowned. "That's assuming that Arev has a shred of honor left. –Which I truly doubt."

"We need to keep you safe at any rate." said Falor. "Your Mother and I are going to start looking around for a suitable mate for you. It may take time but-"

"What about Naruto M'Fau?" asked T'Lyra. "He is my dear friend and is not bonded. He is strong and brilliant. Naruto is already in the Vulcan Science Academy. I would be honored to have him as my husband."

"Naruto is a very good young man but he is a hybrid my dear." said Anuak. "Does this not bother you?"

"It doesn't bother me in the least." said T'Lyra. "I cannot see the logic behind you judging him for such a thing. Naruto is a wonderful person and can keep me protected from Arev."

Falor said, "We had not considered Naruto. It never occurred to us you would be interested in him that way. We thought….well, never mind what we thought."

"We will talk to Sovar and T'Ara and see what they think." said Anuak. "They may have someone in mind for young Naruto. We will find out okay?"

"I believe that Naruto and I would be well suited to each other." said T'Lyra. "Please speak with his parents seriously. I would be very pleased to be betrothed to Naruto."

Falor said, "We will talk to them this week then."

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

After Talok went to bed Naruto was discussing his dreams with T'Ara and Sovar. He also demonstrated some of the assassination moves he'd learned by going through the motions with his Father.

Sovar scratched his chin. "There is little doubt in my mind each of those moves is suited for a professional assassin. As disturbing as it seems your ancestors took killing very seriously and were exceptionally skilled at it. Each of the twelve unarmed moves you demonstrated are one hundred percent lethal."

"The ones with weapons sound even more deadly." said T'Ara uneasily. "Even when you were a little boy you had remarkable dexterity with a knife. Perhaps it would be best to train you in the traditional Vulcan weaponry used in ceremonies. Your Father is very well versed in their use."

"You want me to train in the old weapons?" asked Naruto surprised.

Sovar nodded. "I agree with your Mother. You already have knowledge and if you found yourself in a situation with a weapon you should know how to use it properly. That way you won't injure yourself or others by accident because of lack of familiarity. I'll start training you with swords and knives in your month break after your first trimester of classes is over since you are already familiar with those from your memories. You already are superb with a bow. I can train you in the Lirpa** and the Ahn'woon*** as time passes."

Naruto nodded and said with a sigh, "That seems like a logical solution. It appears that my race was quite violent."

T'Ara ruffled her son's hair affectionately. "Your people on Tori Prime IV destroyed themselves in a war. You already know this. Besides; you are a hybrid so you know better than to repeat their mistakes. Moreover, you behave as a normal, logical young Vulcan. Knowing extra fighting skills does not mean you're following in their footsteps. Consider it extra survival insurance my son."

….

 **Stardate 2267.318** **,** **T'Lyra's house**

T'Lyra awoke bright and early and was looking forward to spending another day with Naruto. The brunette got up and had breakfast with her parents before she received a text message from Naruto saying he would arrive within the hour. "Excellent timing." thought T'Lyra aloud. ' _I have plenty of time to pick out some work clothes_.' Changing into a snug black shirt and pants she thought, ' _I really need to get some blue work clothes_ ….'

Naruto soon arrived and exchanged greetings with T'Lyra's parents before T'Lyra came out of her room and short circuited Naruto's poor brain….again. Naruto coughed and said, "I found a shop in the Old Quarter that has the parts in stock to replace the damaged frame pieces. Kesh is still busy with his Father so it will just be us T'Lyra."

The brunette nodded happily. "That's just fine Naruto. We work very well together." T'Lyra was beaming inside. ' _Kesh is my good friend but spending the whole day together alone with Naruto is the best_.'

….

 **City of ShiKhar, Old quarter**

Naruto and T'Lyra came into a parts supply store that specialized in speeder bikes. They realized it was actually more of a junked bike emporium when they arrived. A large and muscular Vulcan greeted them when they arrived. "Welcome to Mahak's Speeders. I'm Mahak; what can I do for you young people today?"

Naruto got out his tablet and said, "I need a right mainframe engine support strut for a VST-220R." The blonde showed the specs showing the bent frame and Mahak raised an eyebrow.

"May I ask how it got that bent?" asked Mahak. "That can't possibly be ridden safely."

"It was in a wreck involving a boulder about twenty years ago." explained the blonde. "We are restoring it from the frame up."

Mahak said, "That's quite an undertaking. I've got the parts but you'll need a plasma torch to weld it properly. Come on, I'll show you two."

As they walked along Naruto introduced himself and T'Lyra. Mahak raised his eyebrows. "M'Fau? You wouldn't happen to be related to T'Ara M'Fau would you?"

Naruto nodded, "T'Ara M'Fau is my Mother. My Father is Sovar M'Fau."

Mahak said, "That's quite a coincidence. I went to school with your Mother at the _ShiKhar Primary School_. You bear a striking resemblance to her."

….

Soon they were standing in front of two VST-220….carcasses. "This one is a VST-220." explained Mahak pointing at a blue frame. He then pointed at a brown one. "That one is a VST-220R. The -R was optimized for higher performance but the frames are identical. The 220 frame is in better shape so I would advise getting the frame parts you need from it. If you need engine or airbrake parts you'll want to pull them from the 220R."

Naruto nodded and said, "We'll focus on restoring the frame first. The engine and electrical systems are next."

Mahak was kind enough to use his own torch to cut the part off that they needed for a small service fee. It wasn't long before Naruto a T'Lyra were on their way back to Naruto's house to mark where they needed to install the new piece. Then they needed to figure out someone who knew how to use a plasma torch….

….

"….A plasma torch?" asked Sovar. "I've never used one. Why do you think I used those straps to begin with? I think Kesh's Father Skon probably has one since he is always working on their family's hovercraft."

"I'll give Kesh a call and find out." said T'Lyra. T'Lyra stepped outside and Naruto sat down to mark the places they need to cut and install the new frame piece. T'Lyra came back in ten minutes later and said, "Kesh said his Father has one but we'd have to bring the frame there somehow because the torch isn't mobile."

"Kesh lives over two streets right?" asked Naruto. Seeing T'Lyra nod the blonde said, "Without the engine this frame weighs nothing. I could carry it."

T'Lyra's eyes got wide and said. "Are you sure Naruto? It weighs quite a few kilograms."

Naruto stood up and effortlessly lifted the frame with one arm. "It won't be an issue. We'll need to remove all the wiring and the airbrakes to weld though. I don't want anything to be damaged by the plasma torch welding. Let's call Kesh back and see if his Father could weld it for us next weekend."

"Okay, let me call Kesh back." said T'Lyra as she walked back outside.

Naruto had his eyes locked on the gentle sway of T'Lyra's hips and thought, ' _She's gorgeous from behind as well_ ….' He kept an eye on her while she was talking to Kesh on her communicator. ' _I should stop staring but she's sooo smooth_ ….' T'Lyra caught his eye and waved at him. Naruto blushed and waved back before he turned back to his work. ' _I hope she didn't notice me gawking_ ….' he thought embarrassed.

' _He must be eager to hear what Kesh's Father says_.' thought T'Lyra as she waited on the communicator. ' _I need to impress it upon Mother and Father to talk to Sovar and T'Lyra. Sovar is so kind and T'Ara is so smart. They are very admirable people, I_ -' "Ah, there you are Kesh; what did your Father say…?"

….

T'Lyra came back into the garage and said, "Skon has agreed to do it if we can get the frame over there by Saturday afternoon. Is that acceptable?"

"That's excellent T'Lyra!" exclaimed Naruto. "Please convey my gratitude to Kesh and his Father. We can spend the rest of the afternoon removing these airbrakes and the various attachments to the frame."

The brunette girl thanked Kesh over the communicator and then the two teens sat down together and started stripping parts off of the frame so it could be fully restored….

Naruto escorted T'Lyra back to her house a few hours later. After cleaning up and having dinner with his family Naruto caught a transport back to the Vulcan Science Academy to relax and get a good night's sleep before class tomorrow….

….

 **Stardate 2267.319** **,** **Vulcan Science Academy**

 _Personal Log: My weekend was quite eventful but squeezing it in consistently with the amount of homework I have could make things difficult. Last night my ancestral memories were of knife and sword 'katas.' That was the name of the practice forms my ancestors used. Compared to the many assassination moves I've been dreaming about; swordplay is peaceful and serene._

 _On the subject of peace it is my fervent hope that there are no wild animals running through the halls this morning. Last Friday I had to avoid the Academy Media Team through a series of stealth maneuvers that my friend Geoff Baker likened to 'playing cat and mouse.' I didn't get the inference at first (It's a Terran phrase) but once it was explained to me it was an apt description. The Media Team neglected to look up when I was on the ceiling above them…._

 _Hopefully today will prove to be a pleasant, normal day of classes_ ….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto's parents were very surprised that they received a call that morning from T'Lyra's parents, Falor and Anuak Tolaris. Generally T'Ara and Sovar were on good terms with the Tolaris couple but they weren't particularly close to them. Anuak acted with a sense of urgency so T'Ara invited them over for tea that evening to discuss whatever was on their minds.

"What do you think is going on T'Ara?" asked Sovar over breakfast. "You don't suppose it has something to do with that boy Arev again do you?"

Tara looked perplexed. "I don't know. Perhaps they are concerned for T'Lyra's safety on the weekends. I don't think they realize it but she couldn't have a better protector her age than Naruto."

"Maybe she got too dirty working on that bike and ruined her clothes." commented Talok.

Sovar gave a tiny smile. "Somehow I don't think that's it Talok. Your reasoning is a possibility though."

"We will keep it in mind." said T'Ara fondly. "I guess we will find out this evening…."

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto was in metaphorical hell. First session with Genetics and Biology had been simple enough though Geoff got called upon so he was all flustered. (He'd been staring at an attractive female classmate instead of paying attention). History with Professor Sepel resulted in a massive writing assignment that Naruto believed was some sort of record for undergraduates. ' _I can't believe he chose for us to pick a random clan to write a 100 page report on by Friday. I'm lucky that I already find my own clan fascinating and I doubt anyone else will write on the M'Fau Clan. Most will choose an old dynastic clan because information is readily available_.'

Geography had been equally bad with a fifty page report on the Fire Plains. It was Professor Storn's pet subject so it wasn't a report that could easily be blown off. ' _Professor Storn has probably forgotten more about the Fire Plains than I will ever learn in my lifetime. He is a walking encyclopedia_.' Naruto sighed.

The blonde was now in Logic and Philosophy with Professor T'Laan. Unfortunately she had a keen interest in Naruto's (typically Vulcan) views. She seemed to have a deep seated fascination with hybrids and had been disappointed when Sarek and Lady Amanda's son Spock didn't attend the Vulcan Science Academy. Needless to say, Naruto was now in her sights. ' _I think Professor T'Laan is disappointed that I'm just an ordinary Vulcan for the most part. She keeps asking me questions and I believe she expects some sort of radical answers. Just because I have blonde hair doesn't mean I'm a revolutionary by nature_.'

Hearing the chime Naruto thought to himself, ' _Thank the Gods it's lunchtime. Hopefully this afternoon will be less stressful_ …. '

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Anuak and Falor Tolaris arrived promptly at 6 PM for tea. T'Ara welcomed them and both couples exchanged formal greetings.

"Thank you for inviting us into your home." said Anuak. "We apologize for such short notice. Is your little one around?"

Sovar replied, "Talok is keeping herself entertained in her room while we adults talk. It will be fine."

T'Ara said, "When you called this morning you had a sense of urgency in your voice. It concerned us. Is T'Lyra alright?"

Falor said "T'Lyra is fine but since we broke her betrothal she is unbonded. We are concerned that Arev will return and try to take her by force."

"Whatever happened to Arev?" asked Sovar.

"He ran away from home and has not been seen since." said Anuak. "We are good friends of his parents and they indicated he was a danger to T'Lyra in their opinion. For obvious reasons we are very troubled."

"I understand, how can we help?" asked T'Ara. "If she needs a place to stay over at for a few days she would be welcomed."

"No, it's nothing like that though we thank you." said Falor. "I suppose it would be best to be direct. T'Lyra is unbonded and it is our hope that if she were to become betrothed properly that Arev would stay away because he is honor bound to respect a new bonding."

T'Ara raised an eyebrow. "That is highly illogical. If Arev has completely rebelled against logical reason then I see him doing the same with his sense of honor."

"We realize this but we want to protect T'Lyra any way we can." explained Anuak.

T'Ara was thinking about a logical counterargument when Sovar put his hand on her knee. He said, "I believe all parents sometimes place logic aside when it comes to their children's welfare."

"Thank you." said Anuak. "We were wondering if your son Naruto is bonded. T'Lyra says he is not."

"Naruto hasn't been bonded since he was seven years old and his bond mate died in an earthquake along with her parents." said T'Ara in a hollow voice.

Falor sighed. "How tragic. Did you not seek a new betrothal after his _kahs-wan_?"

This time it was Sovar's turn to sigh. "Our family tried to make betrothal arrangements on five separate occasions an each was a complete failure. Naruto finally decided it was better to be alone and dropped the subject entirely."

"But what about his Pon farr?" asked Anuak. "Does he not realize he could _literally_ die? He is taking it far too lightly."

"It is a difficult situation because Naruto is a hybrid." said T'Ara. "Many potential mates do not wish to be with him for that reason."

"T'Lyra does." said Falor. Everyone was silent for a few moments after he dropped that bomb….

Anuak explained quietly, "We informed T'Lyra that we had to start looking for a new mate for her and she was very insistent that she wants Naruto M'Fau to be her betrothed. Both Falor and I were surprised as we didn't realize she felt this way or this strongly about it. T'Lyra spoke very highly of both of you and that she would be deeply honored to become Naruto's wife."

Falor added, "We knew they were dear friends but assumed T'Lyra would not want Naruto as a mate. We were very wrong. It seems T'Lyra exclusively wants Naruto to be her mate. Do you think Naruto would be willing?"

"If Naruto is willing then we would gladly give our blessings." said T'Ara as she held Sovar's hand. _'I knew there was an attraction but I'm surprised they would propose such an arrangement_.'

Sovar nodded. "I know T'Lyra is dear to Naruto so perhaps this could work out. I hope so."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**Lirpa: A lirpa is a Vulcan weapon consisting of a wooden staff a little over a meter in length, with a semicircular blade at one end and a metal bludgeon on the other. The overall length of the weapon appears to be approximately 1.22 meters. It is similar to the monk's spade and the pugil stick.

***Ahn'woon: An ahn'woon is a Vulcan catch-strangle weapon, similar in principle to the Earth Roman gladiator's cast net. However, it is much more versatile. Depending on the skill of the user, it can be used several ways. It is wide enough to be used as a sling. The multi-strapped weapon (approximately 1.1 meters long) uses weights on the ends of the straps, like bolas, to entangle, stun, or cut the target. The application of tying action and wrapping, as with a garrote, can restrict the breathing of the target, asphyxiating the victim. It is considered the oldest Vulcan weapon.

**** I've had several people asking for Naruto's class schedule so here it is:

1 Genetics and Biology – Professor T'Par (F)

2 History – Professor Sepel (M)

3 Geography – Professor Storn (M)

4 Logic and Philosophy – Professor T'Laan (F)

Lunch

5 PE (Self Defense) - Master Aloran (M)

6 Writing and Literature – Professor Kawarda (F)

7 Astrophysics – Professor Iria (F)

8 Quantum Physics - Professor Stavel (M)

So the footnotes have returned in force. Naruto will be steadily working on both the bike and weapons training in the background. It also seems that he potentially could have T'Lyra Tolaris as his future mate. The question is whether he will get a break in his homework to initiate the actual bond. See you next time. Blue out 2/6/17


	8. Chapter 8

_**them to seek each other out during Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm now doing all my writing from work now so the chapters are continuing to plod along at a slow pace. I got this out to prove I'm still alive and still writing. Here is chapter 8. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _"Naruto hasn't been bonded since he was seven years old and his bond mate died in an earthquake along with her parents." said T'Ara in a hollow voice._

 _Falor sighed. "How tragic. Did you not seek a new betrothal after his_ _kahs-wan_ _?"_

 _This time it was Sovar's turn to sigh. "Our family tried to make betrothal arrangements on five separate occasions an each was a complete failure. Naruto finally decided it was better to be alone and dropped the subject entirely."_

 _"But what about his Pon farr?" asked Anuak. "Does he not realize he could_ _literally_ _die? He is taking it far too lightly."_

 _"It is a difficult situation because Naruto is a hybrid." said T'Ara. "Many potential mates do not wish to be with him for that reason."_

 _"T'Lyra does." said Falor. Everyone was silent for a few moments after he dropped that bomb…._

 _Anuak explained quietly, "We informed T'Lyra that we had to start looking for a new mate for her and she was very insistent that she wants Naruto M'Fau to be her betrothed. Both Falor and I were surprised as we didn't realize she felt this way or this strongly about it. T'Lyra spoke very highly of both of you and that she would be deeply honored to become Naruto's wife."_

 _Falor added, "We knew they were dear friends but assumed T'Lyra would not want Naruto as a mate. We were very wrong. It seems T'Lyra exclusively wants Naruto to be her mate. Do you think Naruto would be willing?"_

 _"If Naruto is willing then we would gladly give our blessings." said T'Ara as she held Sovar's hand._ _' I knew there was an attraction but I'm surprised they would propose such an arrangement_. _'_

 _Sovar nodded. "I know T'Lyra is dear to Naruto so perhaps this could work out. I hope so."_

Chapter 8

 **Stardate 2267.319** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

It was late Monday night and something unusual was afoot in the suite of Naruto M'Fau. His friends had called it a night after their usual study session but the blonde was still wide awake. "Shadow clone jutsu!" said Naruto as four identical copies of the blonde appeared. Naruto blinked and said, "Excellent; success at last! Gentleman; let's put a dent in these essays. We will start with twenty pages each by topic and then we will dispel one at a time so we will have one continuous paper."  
"Agreed!" said all the clones as they began dividing the work up in a logical fashion. Naruto managed to procure multiple tablets for study groups so there were enough for his clones to use….

 **The next morning** ….

Naruto exhaustedly made his daily log entry:

 _Personal Log: My experiment in shadow clone multitasking was a success but unfortunately has put a great deal of mental strain upon me. I believe that creating one or two clones at a time should be my maximum until my brain adapts to the stress of them dispelling and returning their information to me in numbers. As it is I am returning the spare study tablets except for one which a single clone will be using today to polish and refine my essay on the M'Fau Clan's history. Currently it is obvious that the essay was written in five parts and therefore needs to be blended into one document._

 _Shadow clone multitasking also has many other applications which I have yet to discover. I suspect my ancestral memories will surface about this now that I can actually perform the technique. Suffice it to say I am exhausted from staying up all night writing. It would be more logical to plan my time more wisely but I was quite caught up in my shadow clone experiment and did not wish to stop. The excitement of my discovery somewhat ruined my routine daily patterns and I will have to watch for that sort of thing in the future._

 _It is my fervent hope that I do not fall asleep in class today as I am totally worn out_ ….

Naruto closed his tablet and made two fresh clones to continue work on his history essay throughout the day. "I'll trust you gentleman to conceal yourselves should any unexpected visitors arrive." Seeing his clones nod in assent; Naruto went down to the Western Dormitory Cafeteria for a hearty breakfast with his friends that normally ate down there. (He usually ate a light breakfast alone in his suite so he could meditate and reflect before classes started).

….

 **Western Dormitory Cafeteria**

The blonde dragged himself into the breakfast line and tiredly ordered his meal. He saw a slightly surprised Geoff wave him over to sit with his friends.

Naruto sat down and Alison delicately said, "You look like hell blondie. What happened to you?"

The whiskered hybrid sighed at the redhead's usual lack of tact and said, "I stayed up all night working on an essay paper. I fear it was an illogical thing to do upon reflection."

Geoff smiled and said, "We all get caught up in schoolwork Naruto. I could tell you were still going full steam when we called it quits last night."

Seeing Naruto raise a questioning eyebrow; Alison chuckled and said, "Full steam refers to going at full power or enthusiasm; see? It's an old Terran phrase referring to steam powered engines."

"Your esoteric phrases can be confusing Geoff but I am grateful for the increase in my vocabulary." said Naruto tiredly.

"Are you going to be okay for class?" asked Geoff. "You look exhausted."

"It would be unwise to miss class." said Naruto. "Besides, Professor T'Par is quite strict about attendance."

"That she is." agreed Alison. "She's also very strict about tardiness." Then the redhead grinned. "Besides, Geoff will panic and flunk out of Genetics and Biology if you aren't there to guide him Naruto."

Geoff glared at his redheaded companion and said, "I'm not that bad off. If you need to look at my notes this evening feel free Naruto."

"I thank you Geoff." said Naruto. "We'd best get to class."

….

Naruto's entire day was fatiguing for the young hybrid. It was true the that Vulcans could get by without sleep for days on end but Naruto simply wasn't used to it and with the added mental stress of his shadow clone's memories Naruto felt like he'd been up for a week regardless. After class he went straight to bed and fell into a deep sleep. Unusually he found himself dreaming about T'Lyra instead of his usual ancestral memories….

…. _T'Lyra was silhouetted by the sun in The Forge as she danced in gold mesh see-through swimwear which showed off all her curves perfectly. It was a slow; sensual dance and the desert wind flowed around her as she slowly spun causing her long hair to fan out behind her. Her golden clothing glittered in the setting sunlight and made Naruto want to caress that softness more and more. She was beautiful and enchanting to Naruto as the blonde stared in unabashed awe at all those amazing curves moving in perfect time to the music that the winds in The Forge played only for her. T'Lyra looked at Naruto with heated eyes and silently beckoned him forward to dance with her_ ….

Naruto woke up feeling incredibly hot and aroused. He'd never felt this way before and got up to get a drink of water to calm himself down. He imagined how her soft lips would feel against his own and wondered if she felt the same before he banished his thoughts away to calm himself. "It's 3 AM." he groaned tiredly. "I need to get back to sleep." In the back of his mind Naruto wanted to see more of his dreams of T'Lyra's fantasy dance but fortunately for his sleep addled mind Naruto slept peacefully the rest of the night….

….

Naruto woke up feeling completely refreshed and for lack of better phrases, energized. ' _I feel as if I could take on the entire world today. I must record this in my personal log for later assessment_.' "I believe this will be a good day." he thought aloud. After recording his daily log entry; Naruto was surprised to receive a communication from home. It was T'Ara.

"Good morning Mother, your call was unexpected but not unwelcome." said the blonde hybrid.

T'Ara nodded and said, "Good morning to you my son. Do you have a moment to talk? I can call back at a more convenient time later if you wish."

"It is fine Mother. I have time." answered Naruto. "What would you like to talk about?"

T'Ara said to her son, "There are matters to discuss in person Naruto. Will you be available this evening after your classes are over?" There was urgency in her onyx eyes and Naruto knew this was important.

"Well, I am-" started Naruto thinking of homework." _'Wait a moment. I have all the time in the world. I can leave a shadow clone here to study with the others and can go home personally_.' "Of course I have time. Do you need me to take the 6 PM shuttle home?" asked Naruto.

"Your Father or I will pick you up at six." said T'Ara. "It will be quicker that way."

"A-alright." said the blonde surprised. "Why such urgency?"

"All will be explained tonight my son." said the onyx eyed beauty. "I believe this will be a very positive thing so there is no need for apprehension. I will see you tonight."

After bidding T'Ara farewell, Naruto reflected a bit on his morning and then headed to his first period, Genetics and Biology….where he found his friend Geoff eagerly admiring the females in the class….The blonde mentally groaned to himself; ' _Geoff Baker, what_ _ **are**_ _we going to do with you?_ '

….

 **Fifth Period -Self Defense**

"You should become the Captain of our V'Shan Competition Team instead of me Naruto." said Galsh. "Instructor Aloran said you are almost a match for him and he's a second level V'Shan Master. Besides, you are constantly improving even against him. It seems logical to me for you to compete."

Naruto sighed as they finished their V'Shan routine. "I'm afraid my Academics must take precedence. I've never been in a real martial arts competition in my life. All my training has been from my Father and Mother."

Aloran was listening to his students' banter. He was a practitioner of several martial arts but from what little he'd seen Naruto's raw power with Kareel-ifla was positively bone crushing. ' _Naruto is unbelievable and his Father is a sixth level Master at Kareel-ifla. It really would do Naruto some good to compete and grow as a martial artist. I have to wonder what he can_ _ **really**_ _do_.' "Naruto, there are open competitions as well as team ones. We're hosting an open competition next month. I recommend you try it. There will be competitors from schools all over Vulcan. There are different martial arts practiced besides V'shan. There are even Kareel-ifla and Ponn-ifla** competitions.

One of the female students said, "I'm surprised something as brutal as Kareel-ifla is still allowed in competitions. I saw a match once and it was quite savage."

Master Aloran replied, "Kareel-ifla is an ancient and respected martial art. Admittedly it is considered violent by modern standards but it is part of our culture. I tried my hand at it back when I was in my teens."

"What happened?" asked another student inquisitively.

"I didn't have the upper body strength necessary to use the art effectively." admitted Aloran. "After three months my Master and I agreed I was better suited for V'Shan and Ponn-ifla among others."

Alison and Senva were listening to the discussion with the rest of the class when Alison whispered to her friend, "For some reason I think Naruto could do Kareel-ifla. I've seen him move stuff easily that would require major upper body strength. He's like a tiger even against Galsh and Instructor Aloran. Considering the way blondie knocked that grayth senseless I'll bet there is a lot we've never seen. Instructor Aloran and Galsh are right. Naruto really ought to compete."

"I agree." said Senva. "As Naruto's friends we should encourage him to try it out."

….

 **Naruto's Suite**

After class Naruto created a shadow clone to study with his friends in Alison's Suite (It was Alison's turn). In the meantime the original Naruto dressed in his regular robes and went out to the school entrance where he saw Sovar waiting in the family hovercraft. The blonde was a bit surprised.

"It is good to see you Father but aren't you usually at work still at this time?" asked Naruto as he strapped himself in the passenger seat.

Sovar nodded, "Normally I am but this matter is important and I need to be there. I took off work early."

The blonde raised an eyebrow in the exact same manner T'Ara always did. "And what is ' _this important matter'_ that you and Mother are referring to Father?"

Sovar reached over and ruffled his son's blonde hair. "Be patient. You will see soon enough."

With that they took off back towards ShiKhar City….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's House**

T'Ara was pacing nervously. She rarely got this wound up about things (outside of scientific discoveries) but Naruto finding a mate was of great importance. She and Sovar agreed that talking to Naruto themselves before involving T'Lyra's parents was the most logical course of action. Once matters were discussed they would (presumably) call Anuak and Falor with the good news. ' _I can't think of any logical reason that Naruto would refuse but I can't help but worry. Naruto was terribly distraught about the subject and gave up so it may be like opening an old wound for him…_.'

She heard the family hovercraft pull up out front and heard Talok say from the front window, "Mama; Daddy is home with Naruto. Did Naruto come home to play with me?"

T'Ara came over and scooped up her daughter fondly. "Daddy and I need to talk seriously with your big brother and brought him home to do so. Can you give us some private time with Naruto little one?"

"You mean play in my room for a little while?" asked the little girl.

T'Ara nodded and said, "It would be appreciated if you could keep yourself entertained for a bit."

Naruto came in about that time with Sovar. He said, "Mother, Talok; how are you this evening?"

Talok said with big onyx eyes, "Can you play Kal-toh with me after you finish talking to Mama and Daddy Naruto?"

The blonde wanted to chuckle. "How about I show you a new trick I learned with chakra instead?"

The little girl looked surprised. "What kind of a trick?" she asked.

Naruto winked and said, "Watch carefully Talok. Shadow clone jutsu!"

Another Naruto appeared and said, "I'll play with you while the original me talks with Mother and Father."

Talok exclaimed, "You can make REAL copies of yourself Naruto?!"

"Pretty much." said Naruto. "But my shadow clones only last a few hours and can't take hits like I can so make sure to be careful."

The shadow clone said, "Let's go to your room and do something together Talok."

Talok was excited. "Okay Naruto shadow clone; let's go!" Naruto's clone picked up Talok and they went back to her room to play….

"…." said Sovar. "I'm in disbelief."

T'Ara paused and said, "That's a most intriguing technique Naruto; when did you learn it?"

The blonde smirked. "I was able to use it successfully for the first time Monday night. I have another back at the Academy studying with my friends. Everything that a shadow clone learns I also learn when they dispel so technically I'm still doing my homework even though I'm here."

T'Ara's brain was whirring at warp speed at the myriad possibilities of the shadow clone technique. "This is absolutely _fascinating!_ " she exclaimed. "The uses aren't limited just to studying; why it's-"

Sovar interrupted his wife before she took off into scientific la-la land. "T'Ara; we have something _important_ to discuss with Naruto remember?"

The Vulcan scientist all but had to smack herself to get her mind back on track. T'Ara could tell Naruto was quite amused at her actions but decided to let it slide. "Come in and sit with us Naruto. Let us have some tea together and talk."

….

"Your friend T'Lyra Tolaris has broken her betrothal to Arev as you know." said T'Ara. "Her parents Falor and Anuak are concerned that Arev may try to harm her."

Naruto frowned and set down his tea. "If Arev shows his face near her I will crush him. He is a despicable person."

Sovar nodded and said, "I understand your reaction but there is another answer."

The blonde hybrid raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean Father?"

T'Ara said gently, "T'Lyra's parents want to get her betrothed again because they hope that Arev will feel honor bound to leave her alone."

Naruto replied, "That's completely illogical. Arev is twisted and has no honor. He was lying to T'Lyra as far back as when we were in our first year of primary school."

Sovar raised his eyebrows. "I had no idea."

"I suppose it's a moot point now." said Naruto as he took a sip of tea. "It is hard to fathom that they are seeking a new mate out for T'Lyra based on faulty logic though. What does T'Lyra think?"

T'Ara gave her son a very minimalist smile. "T'Lyra insisted to her parents that she wishes for **_you_** to be her mate Naruto. Falor and Anuak asked us for a formal betrothal last night but we told them we wished to discuss it with you before we gave our approval." She reached out and held Naruto's suddenly shaking hands.

"You will have our full blessings if you wish to be bonded to T'Lyra my son." said Sovar as he placed his hand on top of T'Ara's.

The blonde swallowed hard. He had tears welling in his eyes though they did not fall. "T-then T'Lyra is to be my mate?" he choked out.

"If you wish it." said T'Ara gently.

Naruto blinked and the tears slid down his cheeks. "I would be honored to have T'Lyra Tolaris as my wife."

Sovar gave his own tiny smile. "You have no idea how glad we are to hear that Naruto. Your Mother and I are very proud of you my son."

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy, Allison Fairbank's Suite**

Naruto's shadow clone was listening to his friends as they encouraged him to try out for the martial arts competition….

"Seriously Naruto, you could kick some major ass if you entered!" exclaimed Alison. "I'll bet you could take first place."

Naruto gave his redheaded friend a withering stare. "You really aren't going to let this go are you Alison?"

Alison shook her head. "Nope! I want to see you show your stuff. Tell him Geoff; Senva."

Geoff said, "Well, I've never seen you spar but since you took out that grayth in one shot I'd certainly like to watch."

"It seems very logical for you to test your limits so you can improve." commented Senva in a reasonable tone. "Few offer a consistent challenge for you here with the exception of Instructor Aloran. You should take this opportunity to grow and make some new friends from other schools competing."

Naruto finally caved and said, "Very well; I will look into it provided it doesn't interfere with my homework schedule." ' _I'll have to polish up with Father and Mother on weekends if I'm going to compete for real_.'

"Awesome!" said Alison exuberantly. "I wonder what the prize for first place is."

Senva asked, "What do you mean by prize? The competitors all enter for the honor of competing, not for any sort of material gain. That would be illogical."

The redhead sweat dropped. "You mean you don't even get a trophy?"

"Sometimes they award medallions of achievement at higher levels but I don't know about this one." explained Naruto. "Sometimes competitions are held to advance one's levels as well."

"Well that kind of sucks…." muttered Alison sullenly….

Geoff said, "I still think you should try to win Naruto."

The blonde hybrid raised an eyebrow and said, "There is no point in competing if you don't aim to win."

"That's the spirit!" cheered Alison.

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's House**

Naruto opened the door and welcomed the Tolaris family to his home. T'Lyra gripped him in a tight hug before he could react. He reciprocated a moment later and felt her warm softness against him. She whispered to him as they embraced, "I am so happy Naruto M'Fau. We shall be husband and wife."

As they basked in each other's warmth Naruto whispered back, "I am so glad you chose me T'Lyra. I will always keep you safe."

Such a display of emotionalism was generally frowned upon but both sets of parents were very pleased for their children. "It seems that this is a logical and beneficial match for our children." said T'Ara in a contented tone as she watched Naruto lead T'Lyra into the house by the hand.

Sovar held his wife's hand affectionately and said, "Indeed it is."

….

Naruto and T'Lyra were sitting on cushions beside each other while their parents discussed the bonding ceremony. "There is a Temple in the Old Quarter right here in ShiKhar City where the _koon-at-la_ *** can be performed." said T'Ara. I see no reason for a big ceremony for a bonding. The wedding perhaps; but not the bonding."

Anuak was of a different opinion. "Do you not want our extended families to be there for the _koon-at-la_? The Temple is a very nice and historical place but it don't know if it will fit dozens of people."

Sovar replied, "You yourself said haste was a necessity. I believe a small ceremony for the bonding would be to our advantage. It's not logical to make huge arrangements at the last minute."

Anuak looked like she wanted to argue but Falor patted her hand. "We want the _koon-at-la_ to be as soon as possible to protect T'Lyra from Arev. The M'Faus are right. Let us settle for a small ceremony now so we can plan a proper wedding later."

T'Lyra's Mother sighed. "I suppose that is logical. Given the circumstances it can't be helped. I'm sorry your bonding won't be a large event at Mount Seleya**** T'Lyra."

The brunette girl shook her head. "All I care about is being bonded with Naruto. We don't need a great deal of fanfare within our clans. When is the _koon-at-la_ to take place?"

Seeing her future daughter in law was more sensible than her Mother Anuak; T'Ara said with approval in her tone, "We will make the arrangements T'Lyra. The ShiKhar Temple isn't a terribly busy one so probably we can do it in the next few weeks."

"The sooner the better." said Falor. "If we can get in this weekend I would be all for it."

Anuak's eyes widened. "There would be so few family members that could make a trip on such short notice though."

Falor replied, "T'Lyra's protection is paramount here Anuak. Let us make haste. T'Lyra seems quite content with a simple _koon-at-la_ ceremony so we should be too."

"Very well…." said Anuak. She turned to Naruto. "You haven't said a word Naruto. What do you think of all this?"

Naruto's blue eyes brightened. "As long as T'Lyra and I are together I'm not concerned how big or small the _koon-at-la_ ceremony is. If it pleases T'Lyra then it is fine with me. Besides, Mother and Father were wed in that Temple so it seems appropriate to at least have our bonding there."

Sovar nodded in approval. "Yes, our marriage was a small but very intimate one. I'm glad you feel that way Naruto." He touched two fingers with T'Ara affectionately and said, "Besides, the ShiKhar Temple is a very historical place being near The Forge."

T'Ara gave a tiny smile. "I will go to the Temple tomorrow to see what arrangements can be made."

"I will join you to see how many invitations we will need to send out." said Anuak.

T'Ara's eyebrow twitched in irritation. ' _Why do I get the feeling that a half dozen M'Fau Clan members will make it and hundreds of the Tolaris Clan members will be invited?_ ' "Of course; we shall go together Anuak. We can meet in the morning after I drop Talok off at school."

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto returned late to his suite that night and found his shadow clones hard at work doing homework. He was in exceptionally high spirits and wanted to share the good news with his friends. Unfortunately he wasn't quite sure how Alison and Geoff would react since he knew human mating and wedding rituals were quite different. He was afraid they would share the news with everyone. After pondering the matter for a while the blonde decided that it would be better to keep the news to himself. ' _If I tell Senva I'm going through the_ _koon-ut-la_ _then I'll have to explain the extenuating circumstances surrounding Arev and that matter is best kept private_.' With those thoughts in mind Naruto dispelled his two clones and went to bed.

His last thought before he went to sleep was, ' _Now they want me in a martial arts competition? Gods….what next?_ '

….

 **ShiKhar Old Quarter, ShiKhar Temple**

Thursday morning T'Ara dropped off little Talok at the ShiKhar Primary School and walked over to the Old Quarter where she met up with Anuak Tolaris a 10 AM sharp. Anuak was looking over the ancient temple with an appraising eye to decide if it was good enough for her daughter to have her second _koon-at-la_ in. Anuak sighed. "Mount Seleya would be so much better." she thought aloud.

T'Ara felt her eyebrow twitching again and said, "Good morning to you Anuak. I see you got here before I did."

Anuak said, "Ah! You are right on time. I was early so I've been….admiring this Temple. I'm not quite sure that it is right for our children's _koon-at-la_ ceremony. It lacks the grandeur for such an occasion."

T'Ara wanted to face palm. ' _You'd think it was a shrine dedicated to the goddess T'Vet from the way she's staring at it_.*****' "I assure you this Temple is fine and has a long and distinguished history dating back to when ShiKhar was still a Kingdom in Surak's time. Let us go inside. It is quite beautiful."

The two women were soon conversing with a Junior Priestess about arranging a _koon-at-la_ ceremony to take place. The young Priestess went over to a podium and said, "We can have the _koon-at-la_ for Naruto M'Fau and T'Lyra Tolaris here two Saturdays from now at 9 AM in the main hall. Would this be suitable for both parties and their families?"

"That would be excellent." said T'Ara. "That is where my husband and I were wed."

Anuak twitched. "How many people can be seated in the main hall?"

"One hundred and fifty can be seated there Mrs. Tolaris." replied the Priestess.

' _Is this adequate enough for a daughter of the Tolaris clan?_ ' pondered Anuak. ' _The Honorable Blue Dynasty usually has all of their ceremonies performed at Mount Seleya but that could take months_ ….'

T'Ara's onyx eyes were turning hard and she said with forced politeness, "Anuak, I am sure this will be fine. Remember we are on a timetable."

Anuak sighed, "I suppose I could limit the guests to only seventy five people. That would be half of the main hall. It will be difficult but it is for T'Lyra's sake."

' _Only seventy five people?!_ ' thought T'Ara disbelief. ' _I might invite twenty tops…and half won't show up I expect…._ ' "Well, let us sign the agreement then and arrange payment." said the onyx eyed beauty. "There is much to do."

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy**

While T'Ara was dealing with the personal hell of Anuak's apparent bourgeoisie tendencies, Naruto was dealing with the ever inquisitive Professor T'Laan in her Logic and Philosophy Class. As always she wanted his opinion _as a hybrid_ on the teachings of Surak and others. Generally she was disappointed that Naruto had very typically Vulcan views but today was different….

Today they were studying an emotionalist named Grelek that preceded Surak by about a century. Apparently he was a pacifist and his writings influenced Surak early in his life. Naruto's opinion of Grelek wasn't all that high though. "Tell us what you think of a young Grelek coming to the conclusion that peace was beneficial in a time of war Naruto M'Fau." said Professor T'Laan.

"Instructor;" replied Naruto crisply. "Grelek's writings and conclusions may have been great but his morality and reasoning were not. He was of the upper class and hired others to fight in his place with his wealth. Grelek wrote of pacifism but did nothing to promote it himself having supported wars employing the lower classes. He was a corrupt and cowardly politician as history shows and had the Kingdom of ShiKhar not been in a stable time of relative peace during his lifetime his writings would likely have ended up leading Grelek to incarceration or worse. It is a great credit to Surak that he was able to distill the finer points of true pacifism from such a fraudulent promoter of the subject."

There were a number of gasps and another student said, "Do you not consider Grelek the _Father of Vulcan Pacifism_?"

The blonde wanted to growl and Professor T'Laan was practically giddy (by Vulcan standards) with excitement. "Please clarify your views Mister M'Fau." she said eagerly.

Naruto explained, "Grelek enjoyed watching gladiatorial fights and other blood sports for entertainment and sent countless mercenaries to their deaths without a slightest bit of respect for the lives of others. He never faced adversity and supported pacifism only where his safety was concerned. He was not a _true_ pacifist or a realist. Surak is the _true_ Father of Vulcan Pacifism and history has proven it many times over. Grelek's writings were only from behind the safety of well defended walls. Had he faced the trials that Surak did he would have crumbled into dust. Read Grelek's personal life history as I have and tell me if you do not agree that this is a logical conclusion."

"Do we have any historians in class that would care to support or refute Mister M'Fau's assertions about Grelek?" asked Professor T'Laan enthusiastically.

The five students that were history majors in the class all agreed that Naruto's reasoning was both logical and sound. One of them summed up with, "It is difficult to refute Naruto's claims that while Grelek's writings were inspiring; he as a person was a fraud…."

….

After class, Professor T'Laan said to Naruto; "You certainly brought up some interesting points about the philosopher Grelek today Naruto. Have you ever considered pursuing Philosophy as a major?"

Naruto wanted to faint….

….

 **Western Dorm Cafeteria**

"It must be tough being the teacher's pet." snickered Alison. "Maybe you should drop all your science courses and study Philosophy and Theology instead."

Naruto cringed at the concept. "Professor T'Laan is a good person but she is a bit too interested in me because I'm a hybrid it seems. She seems to think my point of view would be radically different from others even though I was raised as an ordinary Vulcan child."

"Being raised by a Father who is a Master of the martial arts and a Mother who has three doctorates is hardly what I'd consider ordinary Naruto." commented Senva in a conversational tone.

Naruto resisted the urge to face fault. "You are not helping at all Senva."

Senva sipped her tea. "You seem to be under the false impression that I was trying to help."

Geoff and Alison burst into laughter and Naruto just shook his head….

….

LONG POSTSCRIPT:

**Ponn-Ifla: It is considered a very young discipline by Vulcan standards. Ponn-ifla was the opposite of Kareel-ifla in that it was non-violent in nature but was still quite an effective hand-to-hand combat art. This discipline focused on the use of minimum force and movement by turning an attacker's own force back at them rather than initiating combat. Such master practitioners were known to take on a dozen opponents as well as incapacitate them without even moving a foot or two from their starting position.

*** _koon-ut-la_ , the mind-melding of chosen bond-mates at age seven that causes them to seek each other out during the adult awakening of pon farr. These ceremonies are intensely private, and none are normally open to the public.

**** Mount Seleya is a sacred mountain located on at the far end of Vulcan's Forge. It is said to be the place where Surak formulated his philosophies, including logic and IDIC, in the 3rd century. On a planet rife with hundreds of monasteries, temples, shrines, and ruins to the many sects and even gods which have held sway upon various regions of Vulcan, no place of worship is more important to the modern Vulcan way of life than Mount Seleya.

*****T'Vet is a female deity known to the Vulcan civilization. She is considered a goddess, though it was not clear whether she was ever a real person. She was the patron saint of the warrior clans. During the time of Surak, she had already been worshipped for a long time. Many of the attacks done against Surak's community devoted to logic and peace were done so in T'Vet's name. Whilst Surak's philosophy of logic prevailed, an active shrine dedicated to T'Vet still existed within the L-langon Mountains as Surak's ways did not seek to destroy the old ways.

T'Vet represented the female force toward racial survival and in the ancient days she was perceived as a protective force for warriors in their battles for food and water. Prayers were made to her to keep the women and children of the clan alive through the summer times. As Surak's teachings became more widespread, the people began to cooperate instead of making war, which allowed them to use irrigation to plant crops instead of rely on animal meat. This led to a diminishment of war and famine which in turn led to T'Vet's worshippers dwindling in number with only a single shrine left in future years. Even by the modern era, ceremonies from T'Vet's rituals were adapted by future Vulcans for ceremonies that were still practiced.

Well, the footnotes came back with a vengeance this chapter. The home computer is totally dead so I'm writing over lunches & breaks at work. That means things will continue to be slow so BE PATIENT please. Cute comments that "It's been months!" aren't going to speed matters up any. The updates are going to be lean for awhile. See you next time. Blue out. 3/12/17


	9. Chapter 9

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm slowly but surely getting chapters out here and there. Because my update schedule is shot to hell I'm just updating whatever comes to mind so there is no particular rhyme or reason for the order of my updates right now. Here is chapter 9. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _After class, Professor T'Laan said to Naruto; "You certainly brought up some interesting points about the philosopher Grelek today Naruto. Have you ever considered pursuing Philosophy as a major?"_

 _Naruto wanted to faint…._

 _…._

 ** _Western Dorm Cafeteria_**

 _"It must be tough being the teacher's pet." snickered Alison. "Maybe you should drop all your science courses and study Philosophy and Theology instead."_

 _Naruto cringed at the concept. "Professor T'Laan is a good person but she is a bit too interested in me because I'm a hybrid it seems. She seems to think my point of view would be radically different from others even though I was raised as an ordinary Vulcan child."_

 _"Being raised by a Father who is a Master of the martial arts and a Mother who has three doctorates is hardly what I'd consider ordinary Naruto." commented Senva in a conversational tone._

 _Naruto resisted the urge to face fault. "You are not helping at all Senva."_

 _Senva sipped her tea. "You seem to be under the false impression that I was trying to help."_

 _Geoff and Alison burst into laughter and Naruto just shook his head…._

….

Chapter 9

 **Stardate 2267.324** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

It was very early Saturday morning and Naruto was up and running. He had big plans for the day with T'Lyra and didn't wish to be late.

 _Personal Log: I am overflowing with happiness that T'Lyra Tolaris and I will soon go through our_ _koon-ut-la_ _together. It is only one week away. This is all happening so fast. I find it difficult to believe after all these years that I finally have an intended mate. Today I am multitasking with shadow clones to do homework with my friends while I head home to work on the speeder bike with T'Lyra. My studies are going well and the boost of positive energy within me has made my productivity go up. I currently can make two shadow clones per day without suffering the exhausting mental feedback I dealt with when I made four._

 _On another note Professor T'Laan has asked me to write a paper on the philosopher Grelek that she wishes to present to her colleagues. I should feel flattered but to quote my friend Alison it is a "royal pain in the ass." (I believe I used that in the proper context). At any rate I hope this weekend will prove to be a productive one._

Naruto closed his tablet having made his daily entry and packed it with his other things for the short shuttle trip back home to ShiKhar City. After stopping in at his house to drop his things off Naruto got ready to set out towards T'Lyra's home.

….

 **T'Lyra's house**

The beautiful brunette girl was wearing her form fitting gray work clothes and had just finished putting her hair in a sensible braid. ' _I want to dress up nicely for Naruto though it's not logical or practical given we are doing dirty physical labor. Mother doesn't like me doing this but I enjoy working with my hands and more importantly working with Naruto_.' She admired herself in the mirror. "There we are." Her communicator buzzed and she saw it was Naruto calling. With a tiny smile she answered her communicator. "This is T'Lyra; good morning to you Naruto."

Naruto was happy to hear her voice. "I am glad to hear you are up T'Lyra. I thought I would come over and pick you up if you are ready. We need to take that bike frame over to Kesh's house today so his Father can weld it together."

T'Lyra said, "My parents aren't up yet so I'll meet you on the porch out front. Have you had breakfast?"

"I had something light." said the blonde hybrid. "Have you eaten?"

"No but I'll pack something light we can eat on the way back to your house." answered the brunette girl. "I am eager to get started."

She could practically _feel_ Naruto beaming at her through the communicator. "I'll see you shortly then." he said happily.

….

Naruto walked over to T'Lyra's house in about twenty minutes and knocked on her door lightly. He was soon greeted by his betrothed at the door. "You look nice today T'Lyra." he said shyly.

She blushed prettily and gave him a tiny smile. T'Lyra said, "It's just work clothes Naruto but thank you. Come in and let me finish packing our breakfast and we can go."

The young pair was soon walking back to Naruto's home and they were talking about their plans for the day. He was explaining shadow clones and how they worked.

"That's amazing Naruto!" exclaimed T'Lyra. "I can't wait to see them in action."

….

The two made it to Naruto's house without incident and snacked on their breakfast. Soon Naruto was checking everything on the bike to make sure it was ready to transport and T'Lyra called Kesh to make sure it was okay to bring the frame over as they'd discussed previously. T'yra soon had a flat look on her otherwise lovely face. "What do you mean _you forgot_ Kesh? Get out of bed and get ready. We are coming over." After she turned off her communicator she noted Naruto with a raised eyebrow and blushed slightly. She said, "Sometimes Kesh needs an extra push."

Naruto hid his smile and asked, "Kesh was still in bed wasn't he?"

"I'm afraid so." said T'Lyra. "I guess that means we can take our time and finish our breakfast."

Naruto nodded. "That seems logical."

After finishing off breakfast the two teens got their things together to make the sojourn over to their friend's house. Naruto handed the half meter long replacement piece of frame they got from Mahak's Speeders to T'Lyra. "I'll carry the rest." said Naruto as he picked up the frame with one arm and balanced it on his shoulder.

"Are you absolutely sure that's not too heavy Naruto?" asked T'Lyra worriedly as Naruto closed the garage behind them.

"It's fine." the blonde said in an assuring tone. He gave her a tiny smile and said, "Let's go!"

….

 **Kesh's house**

T'Lyra and Naruto came trotting up and exchanged greetings with Kesh's Father Skon. "Good morning to you Skon; is Kesh up? We brought the bike frame as we agreed last week." said Naruto.

Skon's eyes were bulging at Naruto's holding the frame so easily. "Is that an ultralight?" he asked confused.

Naruto carefully set the frame down and said, "Not to my knowledge. Where do you need me to put it?"

Kesh's Father went to move the frame himself and found he could only drag it instead of pick it up without extreme effort. "Let me move it." said Naruto as he picked it up again.

Skon looked a bit dazed and said, "Lay it on its side over here with the bent side up."

Kesh came out of the house and into the garage with his long hair all wild from sleeping and said, "Father, Naruto and T'Lyra are coming with the bike….Oh, I see they are already here."

"And good morning to you Kesh." said Naruto. "I trust you slept well." The blonde was enjoying the look of embarrassment on his friend's face.

The long haired boy decided to deflect the whole conversation and said, "Let's get to work on that bike shall we?"

The hybrid hid a tiny grin and said, "By all means; let us proceed."

For her part T'Lyra just shook her head at Kesh's antics. ' _Kesh is a good friend but sometimes he's a bit scatterbrained_.'

….

Skon carefully checked Naruto's measurements on the frame before he cut the damaged piece of frame out and fitted the new one. Handing Naruto the appropriate safety goggles and gloves Skon carefully guided the blonde hybrid along as they welded the new frame piece in.

"….And there you have it Naruto." said Skon as he extinguished the plasma torch. "It's simple to use but safety and careful alignment of all the parts in question are paramount. The best thing about welding with a plasma torch is it cools to the touch in minutes. Let's have some water and then we'll scan the weld and make sure it's all good." Kesh's Father seemed quite pleased with the results.

A half hour later the group of four was examining the new weld with Skon's matter scanner that showed the shear strength and tensile strength of the weld. "Everything looks as good as can be Naruto." said Skon. "Very nicely done."

"Now all it needs is some paint to make it match." said Kesh. The long haired boy was very enthused.

"I wish it was that easy Kesh." said Naruto. "I've been reading up on this. We need to strip the paint for corrosion control, acid etch it and apply new paint and seal it. It with be extensive work unless we can find someone to do it for us like a paint shop."

Kesh's Father looked impressed. "It sounds like you kids are planning to do it right. What kind of shape is the engine in?"

Naruto got a twinkle in his eye. "I have someone coming to look at it tonight. I believe he can help me out. We shall see."

….

 _Flashback…._

 _Thursday evening Geoff was talking to an upperclassman over dinner. He was a tall, lanky Vulcan by the name of Adenkar that Geoff was taking a math class with. His major was in engineering. "Your project for the first trimester is to fix up an engine?" asked Geoff._

 _Adenkar shook his head. "My project is to rebuild and upgrade an_ _ **ion**_ _engine's performance but I can't find an ion engine to work on. They cost a lot you know."_

 _Naruto cocked his head. "What about an ion speeder bike engine? They are smaller. Wouldn't that be cheaper?"_

 _Adenkar looked a bit dubious. "Ion engines on repulsor bikes are more collector's items these days. It would cost a fortune to get one. One off a shuttle would be cheaper. It's a nice idea but-"_

 _"I have a VK-220R ion engine I need completely rebuilt for my speeder bike." said Naruto. "I'll let you rebuild it any way you want as long as it looks stock when you are through."_

 _The lanky Vulcan said with wide eyes, "A VK-220_ _ **R**_ _…? Are you serious?"_

 _Naruto nodded. "You get the grade and in return I get a restored engine. It seems like a good deal for both of us."_

 _Adenkar asked, "How well does it run?"_

 _"It ran ten years ago when my Father put it into storage." replied the blonde hybrid. "I haven't tried to start it since I'm currently restoring the frame."_

 _"Can I look at it and see what kind of shape it's in?" asked Adenkar. "It sounds too good to be true."_

 _"Why do you say that?" asked Geoff curiously._

 _"A VK-220 had a standard engine but a VK-220_ _ **R**_ _had a downgraded ion racing engine." said Adenkar with fire in his eyes. "If that engine is stock and actually runs then it would be a dream to rebuild one to racing standards. It would be perfect."_

 _"How about you come out Saturday evening to give it a look?" asked Naruto._

 _Adenkar nodded vigorously and said, "Give me your home address and I'll come out to check it with my instruments."_

 _Flashback end…._

"….And so Adenkar is going to come out and inspect it tonight." explained Naruto to the others. "If it works out I believe it could save me a small fortune since I haven't even studied the engine yet."

Skon was goggle eyed and studied the logo on the bike's frame that said VK-220 ** _R_** on it. "I had no idea this was an R. Thirty years ago every amateur racer there was wanted one of these to upgrade to racing specs. This is a very desirable bike."

"I wonder why Father never said anything…?" pondered Naruto aloud.

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house, that evening….**

Adenkar pulled up in a small freight land speeder and saw Naruto, T'Lyra and Kesh waiting for him. With the lanky Vulcan was Geoff Baker who came along for the ride and to help if needed. As they pulled up Naruto directed them up the driveway to the garage.

Sovar heard Naruto open the garage and came out to oversee the proceedings. Though he trusted Naruto's judgment Sovar wasn't going to let just _anybody_ run off with the bike's engine. Adenkar gave the Vulcan salute to all of them and said, "Good evening. I brought my sensor rig to check the engine." he said as he motioned to a plethora of machinery on the back of his flatbed.

' _He certainly has all the tools of the trade on that flatbed_.' thought Sovar. ' _It looks like a mobile repair shop_.'

Naruto came over and welcomed them. "Good evening Adenkar. Welcome to my home. Geoff; it is good to see you. Allow me to introduce my Father Sovar, my betrothed T'Lyra and my good friend Kesh. Everyone; this is Adenkar from the Vulcan Science Academy and my friend Geoff Baker of Earth."

Geoff's eyes goggled. ' _Naruto is engaged?! Alison's not going to be happy_.' The young human man took a good look at T'Lyra and thought, ' _Not that I blame Naruto; she's a total knockout. I bet she'll be a real bombshell when she gets older_.'

Everyone finished exchanging greetings and Naruto rolled the engine out on the jack it was resting on. He turned to Adenkar. "Where do you want it?" asked the blonde.

Adenkar said, "I have a hoist. We'll load it onto the back of the flatbed and put it in the testing cradle I have."

Naruto was just going to lift the engine but T'Lyra stopped him. "Let him use the hoist. You could hurt yourself." she said with concern in her voice. Naruto nodded in agreement.

Twenty minutes later the engine was firmly strapped down in its test cradle and Adenkar was testing connections with more gear than anyone knew existed. Finally the lanky young Vulcan said, "I've checked all the connections. Everything is within acceptable parameters. It's not optimal but it is adequate. Let's start it up." He motioned everyone away from behind the engine exhausts to the side where they were clear. "No need to get blasted by the exhaust stream." he said.

After everyone had moved clear Adenkar said, "Here we go!" He was obviously excited.

The engine hummed and then made a sickly, coughing sound and belched black smoke out of the exhausts before it backfired and went quiet. Everyone looked puzzled but Adenkar looked devastated. "My project…." he muttered under his breath.

"Oh, it's doing that again." said Sovar as he climbed up beside the smoking engine. He asked Adenkar, "Do you have an adjustable wrench?" The lanky Vulcan student nodded and wondered what adjustments need to be made.

"Here is the wrench." said Adenkar as he handed it over. "What needs to be adjusted? All my readings check out."

Sovar simply said, "Try starting it again." The engine hummed and coughed once more and Sovar whacked the right front side of the engine with the wrench. Then the engine roared to life and it blew smoke for about a minute before it started rumbling smoothly….

Adenkar looked dumbfounded and asked, "What did you do?"

Naruto's Father shrugged and said, "I have no idea but it always worked. It was that or kicking it."

The blonde hybrid resisted the urge to face fault. ' _Only you Father_ ….'

T'Lyra hid her smile at Naruto's facial expression of utter disbelief and Geoff said, "More importantly it runs! It looks like your project is a go Adenkar."

Soon everyone was inside the garage and they were looking over a standard contract from the Vulcan Science Academy's Engineering program to 'borrow' the engine for the remainder of the trimester. When Sovar and Adenkar signed it was obvious that the lanky young Vulcan man was giddy (by Vulcan standards) with excitement. He bowed and said to Sovar and Naruto, "I promise you that when I bring that engine back at the end of the term it will be better than new." Everyone bid their farewells and Adenkar and Geoff soon left with the engine firmly strapped down for safety.

Naruto turned to Sovar and asked, "So how did you learn to restart that engine with a wrench anyway?"

Sovar looked thoughtful and said, "I couldn't get the bike to start after the wreck that bent the frame and it kept dying. After hours of this I lost my self control and kicked it. Then it started right up." Sovar seemed rather pleased with himself and Naruto just face palmed.

"I should have known…." said Naruto with a sigh. "You didn't employ the scientific method at all did you Father?"

Sovar nodded. "I find brute force will usually suffice my son." he said sagely.

T'Ara joined them and said, "Spoken like a true martial artist my husband. Come inside and eat everybody, It's time for dinner. There is plenty for T'Lyra and Kesh as well."

….

 **The next day….**

Naruto spent most of his Sunday morning working on the electrical systems on the bike with T'Lyra helping him since Kesh was busy doing homework that day. The two of them made an interesting discovery as they looked over the VR-220R specifications. "There are aerodynamic fittings that cover all the exposed wiring on the frame." said T'Lyra. "Why is it missing on this one?"

"I guess we should ask Father." said Naruto. The pair went in the house and found Sovar and T'Ara gently helping Talok with her V'Shan routine she was learning as part of her 'dancing.' Naruto waited until Talok finished her routine and then clapped as the little girl finished. "Very good Talok. You're doing well learning V'Shan."

Talok bowed happily and said, "Thank you Naruto!"

"Did you come to practice son?" asked Sovar. "We haven't sparred in some time."

Naruto paused and said, "Actually I had a question about some missing parts on the bike but we haven't had a good spar in weeks now that you mention it." Naruto turned to T'Lyra and asked, "Do you mind if I spar with Father?"

"I don't mind but you know I don't have any experience with the martial arts." replied the beautiful brunette girl.

Sovar said, "Your body type is suited to Ponn-ifla or V'Shan T'Lyra. You should train with Talok. I would feel better if my future daughter in law could defend herself. Wouldn't you agree Naruto?"

Naruto nodded and asked, "What would you think about learning V'shan T'Lyra? It's an easy martial art that is also a good workout while you practice your forms."

"You can learn with me!" said Talok happily. "We can dance together."

T'Lyra was amused and said, "I'll think about it. It might be enjoyable to learn."

….

Naruto and Sovar were soon in the back yard in their respective Kareel-ifla opening stances. Naruto was in the offensive position whereas Sovar was in the stiffer defensive form. "Any rules Father?" asked Naruto eagerly.

Sovar nodded. "Stay in one style or the other rather than your usual freestyle. I will stay in the Kareel-ifla style for now."

The blonde grinned ferally and said, "I will too then. I'm ready Father."

Sovar said, "Begin!" and Naruto vanished before T'Lyra and Talok's eyes only to reappear in front of his Father with a brutal open palm attack. T'Ara was used to this kind of speed and kept up easily enough as she sat with Talok in her lap on the back porch. Naruto and Sovar were in a flurry of activity with brutal punches, kicks and grappling moves employed. Naruto suddenly went flying back and rolled to a halt on all fours. He shot back into the fray when Sovar motioned him forward. The sounds of the hits were like thunderclaps.

T'Lyra was baffled by the sounds alone and soon both men were quite disheveled. Sovar's long hair had been blown completely out of his normal pony tail and Naruto's spiky hair was all over the place. Naruto got under his Father to leg sweep him but Sovar caught his son's careening leg and flipped the blonde over his shoulder. Naruto twisted mid air and landed on his feet in a skid. After about ten more minutes of furious activity Sovar held up his hand for Naruto to stop. Both men were breathing heavily. "Well done my son." said Sovar proudly. "You haven't lost your edge at all while you've been away at the Academy. Very good."

"Thank you Father." said Naruto. "I was never able to get an opening in your defense though."

T'Lyra came over to Naruto and said worried, "That was unbelievably frightening. Are you hurt Naruto?" She turned to Sovar and said, "Are you hurt Sovar?"

"We're both fine." said Sovar with a minimal smile as he dusted off his hands. "Besides, Naruto is tougher than a Capellan Power Cat.**" I could probably knock him through a wall and he wouldn't even be fazed. He chases away Le-Matyas, remember?"

….

After everyone got back inside Sovar was drinking some juice with Naruto and said, "So what was it you two wanted to ask me about earlier? Something about missing bike parts…?"

T'Lyra was still fussing over the now fully healed Naruto. She said to Sovar, "There there were fairings that went over the wiring that are missing from the bike. We were wondering where they went."

Sovar scratched his chin and said, "I know where they are. The person I bought the bike from stripped all the trim off of the bike so it would be easier to access the wiring to work on it. I never bothered to put it back on. There are a lot of extra parts over in the shed behind Mother's house."

"The parts are over at Lady Varek's house then?" asked Naruto. Seeing Sovar nod he said, "That's not good."

"Lady Varek…?" asked T'Lyra. "She is your Grandmother Naruto?"

T'Ara explained, "Mother Varek was unkind to Naruto as a child because he is a hybrid. She wouldn't let him address her as Grandmother until he passed the _kahs-wan_ ritual when she finally acknowledged him as her grandchild. Naruto refuses to address her as Grandmother to this day."

T'Lyra suddenly looked rather uncomfortable. "I see; that's not good."

"Mother Varek has been quite interested in meeting you T'Lyra." said T'Ara in a conversational tone. "She's quite talkative so watch what you say around her."

"She is a gossip then?" asked the brunette girl as she looked over at the generally quiet Sovar.

Sovar shrugged. "We still wonder how she and I are related given our personalities are nothing alike. Perhaps I take after my Father."

"What is he like?" asked T'Lyra.

"I don't know; they divorced when I was still an infant." said Sovar. "I've never met him in living memory."

"How unfortunate." said T'Lyra. "I am sorry to hear this."

Sovar said, "You needn't worry about it T'Lyra. I imagine my Father had his reasons. I made peace with that long ago."

' _She probably drove him away with her nonstop talking_.' thought both Naruto and T'Ara as one.

"We'll get those parts later then." said Naruto. "I don't have the patience to deal with Lady Varek today." ' _And I don't want her interrogating T'Lyra either_.' he thought dourly.

….

 **Stardate 2267.327** **,** **Vulcan Science Academy, Naruto's Suite**

It started off a normal school week. On Tuesday Naruto, Senva, Alison and Geoff were finished with their homework early and at Alison's insistence were playing a Terran medieval style role playing game on their tablets.

Senva's knight died (again) against a vampire lord. She and Naruto were both confounded by the total lack of logic involved. Senva sat there for a moment and said, "There are two physical states of existence for mammalian animals. They are alive or they are dead. Even when mammals go into deep hibernation they are alive….What does _undead_ mean?! It is not alive yet it is not dead. An animated corpse must be alive if it is not dead…."

Naruto was in a similar state of confusion. "These undead are vulnerable to fire more than the living….yet they are invulnerable to frostbite even though they are composed of the same flesh as ordinary humans….This is too illogical for me to continue!"

Alison thought the whole situation was hilarious. Seeing her two Vulcan friends practically banging their heads on the walls at the concept of vampires and ghouls was far more entertaining than the game they were playing. The redhead was in a state of uncontrollable giggles….

Geoff was trying to be more merciful. "It's fantasy guys! In medieval times the living feared graveyards because they feared the dead. They invented myths and…."

"Why would anyone fear the dead?" asked Senva. "Once life leaves the body it ceases to move other than coiling into the fetal position. This undead concept is absolutely confounding!"

"Maybe we should stick to cards…." said Geoff forlornly.

….

 **ShiKhar City, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

On Wednesday morning T'Ara had just returned from dropping Talok off at school when T'Lyra's Mother Anuak called and disturbed the onyx eyed beauty's otherwise peaceful morning.

"What do you mean ninety three members of the Tolaris Clan wish to attend Naruto and T'Lyra's _koon-ut-la_?" asked T'Ara. "We agreed that seventy five was the maximum."

"I'm afraid news travelled much faster through the Clan than I expected." explained Anuak. "The Tolaris Clan is very close knit and the Honorable Blue Dynasty has always…."

T'Ara thought to herself, ' _Honorable Blue Dynasty, how pompous….I am glad my future daughter in law has a more level head than her Mother does._ ' "Fine; fine. We will make sure that they can fit somehow. No more last minute changes though. The rest of the seating is reserved for the M'Fau Clan _only_." ' _Even if we don't require it_.'

Anuak let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you for understanding T'Ara. You have no idea how much it will mean to T'Lyra and I."

"Of course." gritted out T'Ara. "Well, I have things to attend to so I will speak with you again soon."

After ending the call T'Ara thought aloud, "In four days my little boy will finally have his _koon-ut-la_. This is a happy time for our family. Mother and Mother Varek as well as my step-Father and half brothers and sisters will be attending. So will several of our cousins and grandparents. I wonder how many will actually be able to make it."

'…. _I'm a nervous wreck_ ….' she thought tiredly. ' _Planning this sort of thing is not my forte_.'

….

 **Stardate 2267.329** **,** **Vulcan Science Academy, Speeder Bike Training Course**

Deciding it was logical to learn to ride a speeder bike since he owned one (even if it currently didn't have an engine); Naruto took an hour each Thursday after classes to practice on the Speeder Bike Training Course….

….Naruto was racing along as fast as the speeder bike would carry him. The wind blew threw his spiky blonde hair as he imagined making the jump to light speed in his head. He was zipping along the track at breakneck speed as the bike's gyrostabilizers fought to keep up with the sheer velocity. The digital speed gauges shot up into the red zone more than once as Naruto ripped up the desert track. Mathematics and the laws of physics shot through the blonde's mind as he barreled through the tight curves on the track that zigzagged in front of him. The blonde hybrid kicked his airbrakes in order to whip the bike's tail around faster to take the corners without losing any momentum. His feral side wanted to laugh out loud as he shot across the finish line of his final lap….

Then the simulation ended.

A short Vulcan woman stormed out across the holographic display course and said with her eyes full of rage, "Mister M'Fau; _what_ possessed you to go through the holographic training course at _four times_ the recommended speed?! Up to this point you have been a model student driving on our training courses. **_Explain yourself!_** _"_

Naruto scratched his neck in embarrassment. "I was trying to get the same sensations I felt while riding dzharels on the Plains of Gol."

With her eyebrows twitching madly the instructor said, "Then I advise you _go back_ to the Plains of Gol and ride dzharels. You are done for today and will receive your course grades this evening. Consider this your first and last warning Mister M'Fau."

….

"Yeah! That's what I call hauling ass!" said an excited Alison. "I've never seen Instructor L'Vor so angry. She practically had steam coming out of her ears." The redhead clearly approved.

Naruto blushed a bit. "I got a bit carried away focusing on speed I suppose. I hope she doesn't expel me."

Alison shrugged. "I'm sure she's seen worse. I think you are safe. She didn't expel that student that intentionally hit twenty eight pedestrians in the simulator."

"….She recommended that he get some psychiatric counseling instead." said Naruto dourly.

"Good point." agreed his redheaded companion.

….

 **Stardate 2267.329** **,** **Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto was anxious and uneasy. It was Friday morning and he was absolutely terrified something would go wrong with the _koon-ut-la_ on Saturday. He'd called T'Lyra first thing in the morning to make sure she was safe. As it turned out the brunette was very excited rather than nervous and assured him everything would be fine….

 _Flashback…._

 _It was obvious T'Lyra was amused. Truthfully she thought Naruto worrying for her was both endearing and adorable given how confident Naruto usually was. "Naruto, everything is going to be fine. We are betrothed and the_ _koon-ut-la_ _will be wonderful. For the first time our minds will truly touch as one. I'm very happy."_

 _"I'm sorry." said the blonde. "I'm just concerned for your safety. I wish I could be there now instead of here."_

 _T'Lyra gave him a tiny smile. "You are coming home tonight aren't you?" Naruto nodded at the view screen and the beautiful brunette said, "I'll come over and visit with my parents then. Mother says there are some last minute things to take care of anyway. That way we can spend some time together…."_

 _Flashback end…._

They had talked for a bit and Naruto was nearly late for his first period class. Hours later Naruto sat down for lunch with his friends. ' _I'm all worried for nothing. Everything will be fine_.' Naruto swallowed. "I'm going to be leaving tonight for an important family ceremony this weekend so I won't be back until Sunday night or Monday morning."

Senva simply nodded in understanding but Alison's ever present curiosity was piqued. "What kind of a ceremony is it?" asked the redhead.

Naruto said quietly, "It's a _koon-ut-la_ ceremony. They are very private and intimate for the family."

"So what is this _koon-ut-la_ then?" asked Alison. Several people around them looked at the redhead and she suddenly realized she had an audience….and they were all dead silent. Naruto was face palming and Senva looked distinctively uncomfortable. For once Alison got embarrassed at all the attention and squeaked out blushing, "Ummm, never mind." Everyone quietly returned to eating much to Alison's relief. ' _I guess I'll have to look it up later. It must be some kind of taboo subject_.' thought the redhead.

….

The rest of Naruto's school day shot by without him paying much attention. He robotically took notes but his thoughts were all centered on his lovely T'Lyra….

….

 **ShiKhar City, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto caught the six o'clock shuttle back to ShiKhar City and arrived at home without incident. He was welcomed home by T'Ara and Talok who wanted to play with her big brother. Naruto agreed to sit and read to Talok until Sovar got home an hour later. After Sovar got home they washed up and had dinner. T'Lyra and her parents arrived a bit later.

Talok was very excited as she sat with Naruto and T'Lyra. "So you're going to be my new big sister for real T'Lyra?" asked the little girl curiously.

T'Lyra nodded and said, "That's right Talok; Naruto and I will be husband and wife. Does that make you happy?"

The little girl slid out of Naruto's lap and gave T'Lyra a hug. "We'll be great sisters!" exclaimed Talok. "I can't wait."

T'Lyra gently returned Talok's hug. "I can't wait either little one. Tomorrow will be a wonderful day."

….

Naruto was sitting on the couch listening to Anuak trying to make further changes to the ceremony and his Mother T'Ara adamantly holding her ground. The blonde was tired but too wound up to sleep. T'Lyra had her arms around Naruto's left bicep and was peacefully dozing with her head resting on his shoulder. Naruto felt her warmth against him and relaxed a bit. The blonde fell asleep too and was dreaming soon.

"T'Lyra, isn't it logical to use blue flowers to represent the Toloris Clan?" asked Anuak. "Your future Mother in law believes that the regular flowers in the shrine are fine as is."

" _Zzzzzz_..." answered T'Lyra.

"It seems that T'Lyra doesn't find the matter of importance." said T'Ara with a glint in her eye. "It is illogical to make more last minute changes and incur more expenses. We are on a timetable and matters are set. This is their _koon-ut-la_ , not their wedding."

Anuak was less than thrilled with T'Ara's views but found that the beautiful onyx eyed scientist was nearly impossible to win a debate against. T'Lyra's Mother looked a bit mutinous but had to give in on this point. "Very well, I suppose we will leave things as is. Perhaps we can make up for this at the actual wedding." ' _I can't believe T'Ara is so adamant about this. The Honorable Blue Dynasty has important traditions to uphold_.'

T'Ara sighed. ' _This woman's fixation on her clan's past is excessive. I understand tradition is important but decorating the entire temple with blue flowers to honor a Tolaris ceremony is going overboard. I realize that Sovar and I are both M'Fau's so there was never any sort of conflict but this is patently ridiculous_.'

….

Naruto was dreaming he was one of his wild M'Fau ancestors that just happened to have run off with a Princess of the Honorable Blue Dynasty he read about during his research for his history paper. She was surprisingly happy and took to riding dzharels with her husband on the plains from then on. She was called the Wild Flower Princess….And in Naruto's dream she bore a shocking resemblance to T'Lyra….

The next day would prove to be momentous.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**A Capellan power-cat is a fierce feline creature native to Capella. The power-cat is extremely untamable, but above all, hates captivity. No zoo has ever been able to keep one alive.

Next chapter is the _koon-ut-la_ which I will be researching thoroughly before committing it to paper. This chapter was fairly light but moved things along. Surprisingly Sovar's old bike has more to it than anyone realized. It was also revealed that Naruto has a _need for speed_ that sometimes gets him carried away. Next chapter we'll see the return of some of Naruto's wackier relatives and the koon-ut-la between Naruto and T'Lyra. See you next time. Blue out. 4/4/17


	10. Chapter 10

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter makes reference to the _Star Trek: TOS_ episode _Amok Time_. I have footnoted it but you may want to watch it or read a synopsis before reading this chapter as things won't make sense without it. Here is chapter 10. Enjoy!

[ ] signifies old Golic Vulcan

For those of you keeping track; here is an updated timeline of the story:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 Kirk Born

Stardate 2336. = 2336 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Republic NCC-1371 Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 U.S.S. Enterprise 5 year Mission (TOS)

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's _koon-ut-la_

Last time:

 _"T'Lyra, isn't it logical to use blue flowers to represent the Toloris Clan?" asked Anuak. "Your future Mother in law believes that the regular flowers in the shrine are fine as is."_

 _"Zzzzzz..." answered T'Lyra._

 _"It seems that T'Lyra doesn't find the matter of importance." said T'Ara with a glint in her eye. "It is illogical to make more last minute changes and incur more expenses. We are on a timetable and matters are set. This is their_ _koon-ut-la_ _, not their wedding."_

 _Anuak was less than thrilled with T'Ara's views but found that the beautiful onyx eyed scientist was nearly impossible to win a debate against. T'Lyra's Mother looked a bit mutinous but had to give in on this point. "Very well, I suppose we will leave things as is. Perhaps we can make up for this at the actual wedding." '_ _I can't believe T'Ara is so adamant about this. The Honorable Blue Dynasty has important traditions to uphold_ _.'_

 _T'Ara sighed. '_ _This woman's fixation on her clan's past is excessive. I understand tradition is important but decorating the entire temple with blue flowers to honor a Tolaris ceremony is going overboard. I realize that Sovar and I are both M'Fau's so there was never any sort of conflict but this is patently ridiculous_ _.'_

 _…._

 _Naruto was dreaming he was one of his wild M'Fau ancestors that just happened to have run off with a Princess of the Honorable Blue Dynasty he read about during his research for his history paper. She was surprisingly happy and took to riding dzharels with her husband on the plains from then on. She was called the Wild Flower Princess….And in Naruto's dream she bore a shocking resemblance to T'Lyra…._

 _The next day would prove to be momentous._

 _…._

Chapter 10

 **Stardate 2267.330** **,** **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, ShiKHar Temple**

Naruto would have been sweating a river if he had sweat glands. The whole morning had been a whirlwind of activity and now they were at the temple for the _koon-ut-la_. As he looked over the crowd there he saw a sea of blue wearing Vulcans of the Tolaris Clan….and the much smaller red wearing group of the M'Fau Clan. He wasn't bothered or upset by the lack of his clan members. The notice had been very short and those who could make it did. He saw his maternal Grandmother Sarissa with his Aunts and Uncles that he knew in passing from Naweeth City. Naruto also saw Lady Varek and the rest of the odd group that formed his Father's side of the family.

Then Naruto saw his artistic cousins Taurik and Elonat along with their daughter Zerin. They all had sketchbooks at the ready. ' _I hope they don't make an outburst or something else that is equally embarrassing_.' thought Naruto dourly.

The High Priestess of the Temple greeted everyone formally and then proceeded to announce the _koon-ut-la_. "Today in this sacred place we will hold the _koon-ut-la_ of Naruto M'Fau and T'Lyra Tolaris with the blessings of their parents. Before we begin, is there anyone present who would object to this bonding?"

Naruto and T'Lyra both heard deafening silence as the Priestess motioned them to come forward to the altar to be bound. Naruto's blue eyes were nervous but T'Lyra's brown ones were full of joy. Naruto felt a bit more relaxed as he saw T'Lyra radiating happiness.

The High Priestess said in old Golic, ["Let us begin then. Since the beginnings of our people, even before the great awakening to logic our people have held the _koon-ut-la_ as a sacred part of their lives. We have come together-"]

"I object to this union!" yelled a male voice. A teenaged Vulcan boy and his larger companion stood in the entryway to the shrine.

The High Priestess had her eyes wide in shock as the young man who yelled strode forward with his friend and said, "T'Lyra Tolaris belongs to me. You will turn her over to us _now!_ Otherwise I-"

The room was suddenly flooded with an oppressive killing intent from Naruto whose blue eyes were crackling with chakra energy. He'd seen the look of fear on T'Lyra's face and was going to protect her at all costs. Arev saw the blue fire in Naruto's eyes and shivered in fear.

Arev was about to move towards T'Lyra when he found something was blocking his path. It was Sovar. Sovar wasn't a particularly large Vulcan but to Arev the man seemed several meters tall and several wide suddenly. His aura was simply that overwhelming. Sovar asked in a calm voice, "You are Arev whose bond was broken with T'Lyra because of your emotional madness?"

Arev did his best to look intimidating and stuttered out, "I-I am Arev and I-"

There was a horrific smacking sound that made people's ears ring and Arev crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Sovar still had an open palm out and said quietly, "You do not belong in this sacred place." Sovar then looked at Arev's terrified companion and asked, "And you are…?"

"Just leaving!" squeaked the bigger Vulcan as he turned tail and ran out of the temple like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

' _He must be an emotionalist as well_.' thought Sovar with a nonchalant shrug.

Every member of the Tolaris Clan was wide eyed with shock but the M'Faus just acted like this was an ordinary thing to happen. Taurik, Elonat and Zerin were inspired and immediately started drawing….

Sovar shook his head in disgust at Arev and said to the High Priestess, "Excuse me one moment." He picked up Arev's unconscious form and carried the interloper out of the temple. All was silent for about ten minutes when Sovar came back in and quietly returned to his seat beside T'Ara. "Please continue." said Sovar. "There will be no further interruptions."

The High Priestess nodded shakily. ["We have come together to bond these two today so that their lives…."]

T'Ara leaned over to her husband and whispered, "So where did you put that boy Arev?"

Sovar gently squeezed T'Ara's hand and whispered back, "You know how I am about cleanliness. I deposited the trash in a proper container down the street."

T'Ara's onyx eyes glittered with humor. "The public dumpster?"

"That would be correct my wife." said Sovar. "Let's watch our son's special day now."

….

["My mind to your mind"] said the High Priestess.

["My mind to your mind"] repeated Naruto and T'Lyra.

["My thoughts to your thoughts"] said the High Priestess.

["My thoughts to your thoughts"] repeated Naruto and T'Lyra.

Both young people suddenly felt a union of their hearts and souls. T'Lyra felt Naruto's power wash over her as her own life force gently embraced his. ' _It is beautiful my husband_.' she thought happily.

' _You are beautiful my wife_.' thought Naruto as the bond completed. Their unified thoughts swirled in harmony and both T'Lyra and Naruto felt a form of joy and happiness they'd never experienced before. _They were one_.

All too soon they returned to the physical plane and looked lovingly into each other's eyes.

["The _koon-ut-la_ is a success."] announced the High Priestess. ["Live long and prosper."]

Naruto and T'Lyra soon were the center of a sea of congratulations and T'Lyra said to her new Father in Law, "Thank you for dealing with Arev Father Sovar."

Sovar gave a tiny smile. "It was the most logical thing to do at the time. Besides; if Naruto got there first that troublemaker Arev and his cohort would no longer be counted among the living."

Naruto asked, "Was this another example of the application of brute force Father?"

"You are learning my son." said Sovar as he ruffled Naruto's blonde hair. "Sometimes a good smack upside the head can be quite effective."

The young couple spent the rest of their weekend together celebrating….

….

 **Stardate 2267.340** **,** **Planet Vulcan, Mount Seleya**

 _Personal Log of T'Ara M'Fau: My Officer's Commission was reactivated out of the blue yesterday by my old superior Rear Admiral Sheila Tristan. She informed me I was the only officer in the area available for this duty. Somehow an 'incident**' with Commander Spock, son of Sarek has caused ripples in Starfleet High Command and I have been selected to talk to our High Priestess T'Pau about the situation and carry out an investigation_ ….

It had been ten days since Naruto's and T'Lyra's _koon-ut-la_ and T'Ara was carrying out another duty. She climbed Mount Seleya's steps along with her husband Sovar. Her mission as a Starfleet Reservist officer was to meet with High Priestess T'Pau to hear her words. T'Pau wasn't willing to impart them to a non Vulcan. After a long climb the couple was taken before The High Priestess. T'Ara bowed with Sovar and made the Vulcan Salute and said, "We come to serve."

T'Pau returned the salute and said, "Your service honors us. You are T'Ara of the Federation Starfleet?"

"That is correct my Lady. I am accompanied by my husband Sovar of ShiKhar."

"I welcome you both." said T'Pau. "I will speak with T'Ara alone. Sovar may rest if he so wishes."

….

 **T'Pau's home**

T'Pau said in a no nonsense tone, "No doubt you and wondering why I summoned you. Eight days ago Spock, son of Ambassador Sarek and Amanda Grayson came to Mount Seleya suffering from the Blood Fever."

"He got that far into _Pon Farr?_ " asked T'Ara. "He must not have been prepared."

"He was in deep space aboard his ship in Starfleet and was unable to come home to Vulcan to fulfill his biological needs." explained T'Pau. "In the end there was a challenge issued by his bond mate and Spock apparently killed his superior officer in Starfleet which broke him free of the Blood Fever."

T'Ara's onyx eyes hardened and she said, "Spare me no details my Lady; this is very serious not only for all of Vulcan but for Starfleet as well."

T'Pau nodded. "It is well that you understand the gravity of this situation. This is why I chose to impart this only to a fellow Vulcan."

….

 **Stardate 2267.344** **,** ** _U.S.S. Enterprise_**

 _Ship's Log: Captain James T. Kirk reporting._ _NCC-1701 U.S.S Enterprise_ _has been assigned to return to Planet Vulcan in the 40 Eradani A System. After our last visit nearly two weeks ago the crew was surprised to return so soon from Altair IV. An investigation by Starfleet into the nature of Commander Spock's last visit to his home world is pending and we were informed to move at flank speed to Planet Vulcan. On the positive side I already am acquainted with the officer in charge of the investigation, Lieutenant Commander T'Ara_ ….

T'Ara appeared on the transporter pad looking resplendent in her blue Starfleet dress uniform. The she saw her former crewmate from the _U.S.S. Republic_ , Ensign (now Captain) James T. Kirk. Alongside him was a tall Vulcan that T'Ara recognized as Commander Spock. "Lieutenant Commander T'Ara reporting for duty." said the onyx eyed woman.

Kirk smiled. "Welcome aboard Commander T'Ara. I hope your visit is a productive one." ' _She's just as gorgeous as I remember her_.' "I'm Captain James T. Kirk. I don't know if you remember me but we served on the _Republic_ together."

T'Ara nodded, "You were an Ensign then. You have done well for yourself Captain; commanding a heavy cruiser no less."

She gave the Vulcan salute. "You must be Commander Spock. I apologize in advance for invading your privacy during this visit."

Spock returned her salute and said, "I've been informed of the nature of your investigation. I will do everything to help speed your analysis."

"Excellent." said the onyx eyed beauty. "With your permission Captain, I will begin immediately."

Kirk turned to his first officer and said, "Mister Spock, I trust you'll want to handle this?"

Spock nodded. "Using such discretion would be best but both you and Doctor McCoy's input will be necessary at some point."

"We'll be available Spock." assured Kirk.

….

 **Mr. Spock's quarters**

"I'm surprised you have not asked about my hybrid nature Commander T'Ara. Most Vulcans do." said Spock as they sat down. "Tea?"

"Yes please." said T'Ara as she accepted her tea. "While it would be logical to assume I am curious, I am a friend of your Mother Lady Amanda Grayson. My firstborn is a hybrid as well and her guidance has proven invaluable. It is irrelevant for now. I am here to exchange information with you about the recent _Pon Farr_ experience. As I understand it this was your first _Pon Farr?_ "

Spock nodded. "That is correct Commander T'Ara."

"High Priestess T'Pau has made the suggestion that bonded pairs of Vulcans serving in Starfleet should serve on the same ship to prevent further _Pon Farr_ incidents such the one as you recently experienced." said T'Ara.

"That is against Starfleet's fraternization policies." replied Spock. "What does Starfleet Command think of this idea?"

"Starfleet High Command is divided on the subject but it is your opinion that is important in this case." said T'Ara. "We already have bonded groups of Deltans serving together due to their need for extreme intimacy. The regulations are already in place for such arrangements. It would prevent unfortunate situations such as you recently experienced. Starfleet Command has no concept that _Pon Farr_ can be life threatening. I understand that your ship's Doctor intervened and put your Captain in a false death state to save his life."

"Doctor McCoy saved Captain Kirk's life." said Spock shamefully. "There is no doubt of that because I was completely absorbed by the Blood Fever."

"It seems your Chief Medical Officer is quite clever." said T'Ara.

Spock nodded in agreement. "Doctor Leonard McCoy is my friend and I am thankful for his intervention; however illogical he is at times."

"I found in my years of service that the human's illogical nature can prove to be quite useful as a counterpoint in an argument." said T'Ara. "It does make things difficult at times though."

"Indeed." said Spock. "Forgive my saying so but you seem rather fond of humans."

"My son is a hybrid as you are." explained T'Ara. "He has characteristics that baffled me when he was little but with your Mother Lady Amanda's guidance I was able to overcome my confusion. It was her guidance _as a human_ that helped me immensely."

"He is half human then?" asked Spock surprised.

T'Ara shook her head. "He is half Vulcan and his other half comes from the extinct species of Tori Prime IV. Many of his abilities are still a mystery."

"Fascinating." said Spock.

T'Ara nodded. "Indeed."

….

After a customary tour of the ship from Mister Spock, T'Ara was invited to dine with the Captain and his staff. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott said, "So you served with Captain Kirk aboard the _Republic_. She's a grand old lass." There was a twinkle in Scott's eye. "So what was our Captain like as a junior officer?"

T'Ara looked thoughtful. "As an Ensign; Captain Kirk was impulsive, reckless and immature. He was also a womanizer. He was a responsible officer though despite his relative inexperience."

The entire staff was stifling chuckles of amusement (except Spock of course). Kirk just sweat dropped.

….

Kirk asked, "So what about Tori Prime IV? You were a great loss to the _Republic_ Commander T'Ara. The child…?"

"My son in a fine young Vulcan." said T'Ara. "He entered the Vulcan Science Academy at the age of thirteen as one of the top three in his class."

"Impressive." said Spock. "He must be years ahead of his peers. What is he studying?"

"His majors are astrophysics, quantum mechanics and genetics. He also has an interest in astronomy." stated T'Ara. "He seems to long for the stars as I always did. It would not surprise if he joined Starfleet someday."

Kirk thought a moment and then grinned. "Do you think your boy would like a tour of the _Enterprise?_ "

….

 **Stardate 2267.345** **,** **Planet Vulcan, Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto was recording his thoughts on Saturday morning before he began his day.

 _Personal Log: I have received the most unusual opportunity to tour the Federation Starship_ _U.S.S. Enterprise_ _this afternoon. Apparently the ship's First Officer is Mister Spock and is Lady Amanda Grayson's son. He is the only other Vulcan hybrid that has ever survived into adulthood. When I spoke to Mother about it she said it was the idea of the ship's Captain James T. Kirk who was in the landing party on Tori Prime IV when I was 'conceived.' I've spent the morning preparing for my trip. I will be travelling by transporter beam from the Vulcan Science Academy and I am supposed to meet up with two Junior Officers from the_ _Enterprise_ _named Pavel Chekov and Hikaru Sulu. They are an Ensign and a Lieutenant respectively. I hope this trip prove to be an educational one. I've never been on a transporter or into space before so this should be an interesting experience._

 _….Sadly all they were told to watch for was 'spiky blonde hair and whisker marks_ ….'

….

 **Vulcan Science Academy Transporter Platform**

Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov arrived an hour early so they would have the opportunity to poke around at the famous Vulcan Science Academy. They were welcomed in the traditional Vulcan way with the salute which the pair did their best to emulate in return. Once they stepped outside, Sulu said to Chekov slyly, "So Chekov; what takes precedence; our little tour or admiring the women***? We have an hour before we pick up the Commander's kid."

Chekov scratched his chin in deep thought. "I think the women should definitely take precedence Sulu. Remember; part of our duty is to always learn more about foreign cultures and appreciation of the arts."

It wasn't until thirty minutes later that the two young officers who were appreciating the beauties of Vulcan realized something. There were absolutely no signs to be found anywhere on any of the rooms in the dorms in the Vulcan Science Academy and what little they found was in Golic Vulcan that they needed a tricorder to translate. They were irretrievably lost….

….

Naruto was soon at the Transporter Platform five minutes early. He was in his crimson M'Fau robes with his Academy Medallion on. The blonde looked in and didn't see anyone but staff members of the Academy. After ten minutes Naruto entered and gave the Vulcan salute to the technicians there and asked, "Forgive me for interruption your work but I was supposed to meet two Starfleet Officers here at noon and I see no sign of them. Could you tell me if they have arrived yet?"

One of the technicians went over to a podium and brought up his log entries. "Do you know their names student?" he asked.

Naruto nodded and said, "They are Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and Ensign Pavel Chekov sir."

The tech looked at his screen and said, "They arrived at eleven and have yet to return."

"They arrived an hour early?" asked Naruto. He looked at his chronometer. ' _I am on time. Where are they?_ '

….

 **With Sulu and Chekov….**

"The Transporter Platform is in that direction." said a female Vulcan student to the two officers. "You are at the far end of the Eastern Dorm. Go straight west until you see the main entryway and go south. The Transporter Platform is on the East side near the main entrance. Do you require more specific instructions?"

Sulu smiled weakly and said, "No; thank you for your assistance." The young lady nodded and was on her way. ' _I guess that all Vulcans are dry as Mister Spock_.'

Chekov was thinking along the same lines and said, "We're already running late Sulu. We should get going."

They were about halfway back through the Eastern dorm when they saw a boy with a spiky mop of blonde hair and whisker marks headed straight towards them. Naruto came up to the two officers and said, "You are Officers Sulu and Chekov I presume?"

Sulu nodded and said, "I'm Sulu and this is my friend Chekov. I'm pleased to meet you."

Chekov looked a bit perplexed. ' _Spiky blonde hair? Check. Whisker marks? Check_.' "You must be Commander T'Ara's son Naruto."

"That is correct." said Naruto. "You were not at the Transporter Platform so I came to track you down."

"How did you find us so quickly?" asked Sulu.

Naruto answered, "I used my nose. Humans scents are rather strong so finding you among Vulcans was a simple task."

Both Sulu and Chekov sweat dropped. "You seem….ummm; quite Vulcan Naruto." said Chekov.

Naruto gave them a flat look only a Vulcan could give and said, "That is a most logical conclusion given I _am_ Vulcan. Shall we get going? We are already twenty minutes late and will be thirty minutes late by my estimation once we reach the Transporter Platform."

' _He seems like a mini version of our First Officer_.' thought Sulu dourly as Naruto led them back to the Transporter Platform Room with purpose in his step.

Chekov wondered, ' _How is it even Vulcan children manage to make feel kind of stupid?_ '

….

 **Transporter room,** ** _U.S.S. Enterprise_**

Yeoman Janice Rand****had been standing in the transporter room for nearly twenty five minutes tapping her foot wondering where Sulu and Chekov were with their guest Naruto. ' _Where in the hell are they?_ ' she thought irritably. ' _I hope that Commander T'Ara's son isn't some kind of hoodlum giving them trouble_.' (If she only knew the truth -he was the responsible one). ' _Then again, the idea of a Vulcan child being out of control seems kind of ludicrous_.'

" _Vulcan Science Academy Transporter Platform to_ _U.S.S. Enterprise_ _. We have three to beam up when you are ready_."

The transporter chief said, "Ah, here we go Yeoman." He adjusted his controls and said. "This is Enterprise to VSA Transporter Platform. We are ready to receive. You may transport when ready."

As Rand watched the transporter beams activate she thought, ' _Phew; I was afraid I'd be collecting my retirement before they got here_.'

Sulu, Chekov and Naruto shimmered into existence and Rand stepped forward. She was surprised be Naruto's appearance but did not show it. "Mister Sulu, Chekov, welcome back. You must be Lieutenant Commander T'Ara's son Naruto. I'm Yeoman Janice Rand. Welcome aboard the _Enterprise_."

Naruto bowed and gave the traditional Vulcan salute. "I thank you for having me."

….

Rand soon found herself with her hands full as she showed Naruto around the ship. He'd spent the previous night studying the _Constitution_ Class Cruisers as well as the history of the _Enterprise_. She was taking him to non-classified areas of the ship but Naruto seemed to know about classified areas pretty well. "….Well Naruto; it seems to me we'd need to ask an engineer that question. I'm not well acquainted with the actual shape of warp fields you see…."

Naruto was soon welcomed to the bridge by Kirk himself. "Welcome aboard Naruto. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I served with Commander T'Ara aboard the _Republic_."

The blonde hybrid bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for inviting me aboard your ship. It has been most educational."

Kirk smiled to himself and thought, ' _I guess that's the Vulcan equivalent of 'This is really neat_.' "I'm glad you are enjoying your visit. Let's sit you in the Captain's chair so you can view things as a starship commander does."

Naruto was soon admiring his home planet Vulcan through the view screen. "….So this is space…." thought Naruto aloud.

Kirk found that showing the boy around was a rather fun deviation from the norm. The Captain pointed out the helm and navigator's stations as well as the science station. "The science station is where commander T'Ara was stationed on the _U.S.S. Republic_." said Kirk as Naruto looked in the viewscreen showing the makup of Planet Vulcan's atmosphere."

"This is most fascinating." said the spiky haired blonde. Kirk wanted to chuckle….

….

Eventually Yeoman Rand took Naruto down to the unclassified areas of engineering where she introduced Mister Scott to Naruto. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott scratched his chin. "Changing the curvature of a warp field to help facilitate the sudden motion shifts of a high energy turn….Hmmm….It's actually a very plausible theory Naruto. It's rough and needs to be developed mathematically but it would be an elegant solution to the breakdown problems that plague larger warships." The engineer snapped his fingers and led them over to a console. "Let's run a simulation!"

Yeoman Rand stood there feeling like a fifth wheel as Scott and Naruto bantered in mathematical theories that made her head spin. The changes in the warp bubble and so forth meant very little to her. ' _Oh brother, the kid's some kind of engineering genius. I'm just going to stand here and just nod along. I know nothing about warp theory other than the basics. Mister Scott seems to have made a new friend_ ….'

….

 **Observation Deck**

T'Ara was completing her initial reports and spoke to Naruto. "My task is classified from civilians of course but suffice it to say it won't take much longer; perhaps two or three days. How are you enjoying your visit aboard the _Enterprise?_ Have you discovered anything of interest?"

"I have visited most of the ship's highlights with Yeoman Rand; in sick bay Doctor McCoy seemed quite interested in my genetic makeup." said Naruto. "I also sat in the Captain's chair and I saw the science station like you worked on the bridge of the _Republic_. It was very interesting."

"Anything else of interest?" ask T'Ara

Naruto's blue eyes glinted. "Chief Engineer Scott seemed very intrigued about some of my warp field theories. We ran a few simulations and he said the concept behind my curvature theory is sound."

T'Ara had a twinkle in her onyx eyes. "I did tell you one day you would surpass me in astrophysics. Well done my son."

"It's only a _theory_ Mother." said Naruto bashfully.

She reached over and ruffled his blonde locks. "I've read Mister Scott's dossier. He is a superb engineer. If he says the theory is sound then I would say it is." she paused a moment and made a notation on her report. "I believe you should meet Mister Spock. As a fellow hybrid I am confident that the two of you could have an enlightening conversation."

….

 **Mister Spock's Quarters**

Yeoman Rand dropped Naruto off at Mister Spock's quarters where the two hybrids exchanged the Vulcan salute. "Welcome Naruto, I am S'Chn T'Gai Spock*****, son of Sarek.

Naruto bowed. "I am Naruto M'Fau, son of Sovar. I am honored to meet you."

….

Spock and Naruto were soon deep in conversation about being hybrids aver some Vulcan Tea that Spock brewed for his guests. "I too was considered less than worthy by others until I passed my _kahs-wan_." said Spock. "I considered it highly illogical then as I do now. Bias and alienation seems to accompany us hybrids. It makes life difficult at times."

"Is that why you joined Starfleet sir?" asked Naruto. "It seems that bias is not such a factor here."

Spock drummed his fingers together. "That is one reason I joined Starfleet. The other is more personal."

"I did not wish to pry." said Naruto in an apologetic tone.

Waving his hand in an assuring manner, the older hybrid said, "You were not prying. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?"

"I count my Mother and Father as my greatest supporters." answered the blonde. "I could not ask for better parents."

Spock nodded. "Consider yourself blessed in that respect then. While I have a cordial relationship with my Mother; my Father and I do not get along well."

"You left for Starfleet to get away from your Father's influence then." extrapolated Naruto. Spock nodded. "Your secret is safe with me Mister Spock."

….

 **Transporter Room**

At the end of a fulfilling day on the _Enterprise_ Naruto was escorted to the transporter room and thanked his hosts for letting him visit. He said goodbye to each of them with the Vulcan salute and then turned to Mister Spock. "Live long and prosper S'Chn T'Gai Spock."

Spock returned the salute and said, "Live long and prosper Naruto M'Fau. May we meet again someday."

As Naruto beamed down Doctor McCoy turned to Spock and asked, "What was all that gibberish he said before your name Spock? I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"That was my full name Doctor." answered Spock in his usual dry tone.

McCoy was wide eyed, " _That_ was your actual name?"

"I had no idea…." thought Kirk aloud. ' _No wonder Spock told us it was unpronounceable_ ….'

….

 **Stardate 2268.003** **,** **Planet Vulcan, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

 _Personal Log of T'Ara M'Fau: I have been in touch with both Starfleet High Command and Rear Admiral Tristan. I was originally told my commission was going to be active only for the duration of my investigation of Commander Spock's situation but it has been extended to six months. Our Klingon and Kzinti neighbors have been having border skirmishes and it is quickly escalating into what is already being called the Fourth Klingon-Kzinti War. The Federation is in an antagonistic relationship with the Klingons having fought a minor war with them recently and our relations with the cat like Kzintis are more or less on neutral at this point._

 _It is difficult not to be concerned. Though I am a shore based reservist I have been informed that Starfleet is preparing to mobilize along the Klingon border. It would be a simple matter for orders to come through and return me to active shipboard duty. I am not a Flag Officer but shifting units as a threat to the Klingons seems like an illogical policy to me. I worry that the Federation may soon end up in a war we want no part of nor are we prepared for…._

….

Naruto was at home for a month having finished the first trimester of the school year and was spending some quality time working on his bike with his betrothed. In the past months T'Lyra had found she not only excelled at mechanics; she truly enjoyed working on things. Her Mother Anuak was a bit appalled thinking is was very unfeminine but her Father Falor seemed a bit more accepting of it.

As they worked on the airbrakes together T'Lyra said to Naruto, "After this next year of Primary School I plan to apply at a technical school like the ShiKhar Technical Institute. I'll need to study my mathematics more to get in I Imagine."

Naruto set the parts he was working on down. "You certainly have a talent for these things." said the blonde. "Let's get on our tablets and see what ShiKhar Tech has as their entry requirements so you'll know which classes to take the rest of the year."

The young couple was soon sitting side by side as they looked over the various requirements for the ShiKhar Technical Institute and discovered that T'Lyra would need to take more advanced math and some physics to meet the requirements for entry the next year. "This is excellent T'Lyra." said Naruto in a pleased tone. "I'll be happy to help you learn if you want."

T'Lyra gave him a tiny smile. "Between learning V'Shan from Mother T'Ara and working on the bike I have a pretty full schedule."

"Remember that I'll always be here to help if you need it." said Naruto. He gently squeezed her hand. "I feel better knowing you are learning self defense. I want you to be safe."

The brunette beauty shook her head in amusement. "I think Talok is stronger than I am when it comes to V'Shan."

Naruto shrugged. "Father says Talok has the potential to become a true monster at V'Shan. With the dancing lessons she's taking Talok is much stronger than she looks. Those same muscles are used in V'Shan. She's also very fast and flexible. Of course Talok's still little but her potential is amazing."

"What does Father Sovar say about me and the martial arts?" asked T'Lyra curiously.

The blonde replied. "Father said you have a lot of potential with V'Shan but he wants to teach you Ponn-ifla. He said your body type is perfect for it."

Ponn-ifla is a defensive art isn't it?" asked T'Lyra.

"Yes, it is designed to defend against multiple opponents and uses their own strength against them." said Naruto. "It's kind of the opposite of my Kareel-ifla that relies so much on power and strength."

"Well, you have plenty of strength to spare." said the brunette amused. "On the other hand it is really convenient when something heavy needs to be moved." She learned in against Naruto and said, "Let's just sit here for a while. It is very comfortable leaning against you."

Naruto put his arm around T'Lyra and she closed her eyes. ' _I wonder what tomorrow will bring?_ ' thought Naruto.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**The Star Trek: TOS episode _Amok Time_ when Spock returns to planet Vulcan to marry his betrothed T'Pring. If you don't know this one there is a synopsis online.

***No, Sulu wasn't gay in the original series. George Takei said so himself. That's in the reboot.

****For you purists, the Yeoman Janice Rand didn't appear in the second season of Star Trek: TOS. It was never said on screen but she may have transferred off the _Enterprise_ in 2266. That being said I couldn't think of a better character to show a guest who is still a child around. I doubt they would have a full officer do it so we'll just roll with the idea that Yeoman Rand is still aboard.

*****Spock's full name _S'Chn T'Gai Spock_ was revealed in the Star Trek: TOS novel Ishmael so strictly speaking it is not canon though it seems to be accepted as such.

The _koon-ut-la_ was kept intentionally short and simple because I couldn't find an in depth description other than it was a Vulcan mind-meld between two young people supervised by a Priestess. Arev's appearance was meant to provide levity. He'll return at some future time as an actual threat instead of a running gag. We also finally had a meeting between Naruto and the crew of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_ that a lot of people have been wanting. I hope everyone liked that but it is _very_ plot relevant. It wasn't just thrown in for the heck of it. Next chapter we're going to have a bit of a time skip so be prepared for a more adult Naruto and T'Lyra. See you next time. Blue out. 4/14/17


	11. Chapter 11

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter has a four year time skip in it so Naruto and T'Lyra are both seventeen now. I'm going to try to update Darkness Risingnext. Here is chapter 11. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _"Father says Talok has the potential to become a true monster at V'Shan. With the dancing lessons she's taking Talok is much stronger than she looks. Those same muscles are used in V'Shan. She's also very fast and flexible. Of course Talok's still little but her potential is amazing."_

 _"What does Father Sovar say about me and the martial arts?" asked T'Lyra curiously._

 _The blonde replied. "Father said you have a lot of potential with V'Shan but he wants to teach you Ponn-ifla. He said your body type is perfect for it."_

 _Ponn-ifla is a defensive art isn't it?" asked T'Lyra._

 _"Yes, it is designed to defend against multiple opponents and uses their own strength against them." said Naruto. "It's kind of the opposite of my Kareel-ifla that relies so much on power and strength."_

 _"Well, you have plenty of strength to spare." said the brunette amused. "On the other hand it is really convenient when something heavy needs to be moved." She learned in against Naruto and said, "Let's just sit here for a while. It is very comfortable leaning against you."_

 _Naruto put his arm around T'Lyra and she closed her eyes. '_ _I wonder what tomorrow will bring?_ _' thought Naruto._

 _…._

Chapter 11

 **Stardate 2271.253** **,** **Planet Vulcan, The Forge**

A speeder bike roared across the desert with two figures on its back in body fitting uniforms and helmets. They were clipping along at 500 km per hour. The smaller figure on back was watching an instrument gauge readout as the larger figure effortlessly threaded between obstacles in desert. Kicking the airbrakes they spun 180 degrees and came to a halt. The driver took off his helmet showing his spiky blonde hair and looked back over his shoulder. He said, "What do you think T'Lyra? At 500 K's everything felt smooth as glass."

T'Lyra took off her own helmet and shook out her long brown hair. "Everything is exceeding our expectations Naruto. The new fittings not only allow us to brake and turn in half the distance we previously needed but the acceleration to 500 K's is twenty five percent faster. I wish my little VK-650S had this kind of power." She hopped off the speeder bike and admired the crimson red machine. "It took us three years to restore this beauty. After riding it for a year I still don't see why you don't race it. You've got the skill and 500 K's per hour is _nothing_ for this speeder bike."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm just happy to have it whether it is race qualified or not. Anyway, your VK650 Sport is upgraded enough to participate in the lightweight racing course. Thanks to you rebuilding it; the thrust to weight ratio is unbelievable compared to a stock one. I'd bet you've set a new standard T'Lyra."

T'Lyra blushed slightly and said, "Thank you for your praise but my little 650 Sport has nothing on your 220R. She admired her betrothed for a moment. He had grown into a lean, muscular young man standing at 186cm. T'Lyra had grown likewise into a very curvaceous and beautiful young woman standing at 155 cm. Neither had experienced their _Pon Farr_ yet but they already accepted each other fully as husband and wife.

They'd both grown in the martial arts as well. T'lyra was a fifth level adept at V'Shan and a seventh level adept at Ponn-ifla. Naruto was now a fourth level master at Kareel-ifla and a second level master of V'shan. He'd been in several competitions and was really pushing his limits to match his Father's level.

The beautiful brunette said, "I've graduated the Vulcan Technical Institute this last year….We're both seventeen and I really want to join Starfleet Naruto. I've been talking to Mother T'Ara about her adventures in space and it's amazing. I know you've considered becoming a Professor and continuing your education but space seems so much more exciting…."

Naruto sighed. He wanted to join Starfleet but his Mother had already said a war could well be on the horizon. The Fourth Klingon-Kzinti War was winding down to an inconclusive end so the Klingons were once again a threat. Likewise the Romulans were using Klingon technology now thanks to the Klingon-Romulan Treaty of Smarba and were a threat on the opposite Federation border. As a result Starfleet had massively increased their recruiting and the Navy was expanding. One Starfleet recruiter basically said the Navy would give Naruto an officer's commission on a silver platter if he agreed to join. The blonde had two Doctorates thanks to his multitasking with shadow clones and was very desirable to the Starfleet as a result.

As for T'Lyra, she was perfectly happy with the idea of being an enlisted crewmember as long as she was in the Engineering Division….

Naruto was torn….

….

 **Stardate 2271.267** **,** **ShiKhar City, Starfleet Recruiter's Office**

It had been two weeks since their last discussion and Naruto had corresponded with his friend Commander Spock about joining Starfleet. He had also spoken a great deal to his Mother T'Ara over time. As it stood, T'Lyra was to be accepted into Starfleet without issue because T'Ara wrote a letter of recommendation for her. Naruto was fortunate that Commander Spock was willing to do the same for him without question. The enlisted personnel went to a larger part of the building. Naruto and the other would be officers were in a more specialized area….

Naruto was given a routine physical and then was shoved in a waiting room with other hopefuls. Soon the blonde's name was called and Naruto was sitting with a human officer in his mid twenties.

"I'm Lieutenant David Cruze." said the recruiter who was interviewing Naruto. "I understand that you wish to join Starfleet as an officer Naruto."

"That is correct sir." answered the blonde.

Cruze looked over the paperwork on his desk and said, "You have two doctorates from the Vulcan Science Academy at the age of seventeen. That's incredibly impressive. One is in Astrophysics with a minor in Astrodynamics and the other is in Genetics with a minor in Xenobiology. Those are very different areas of study Naruto. May I enquire as to why you chose those particular fields?"

Naruto nodded. "I prefer to have a well rounded field of knowledge. I didn't wish to be limited in my career choices."

The Lieutenant took down some notes and asked, "Why did you choose Starfleet?"

"There are two main reasons." said the spiky haired blonde. "My betrothed is entering Starfleet and my Mother is a Lieutenant Commander in Starfleet. It is in my family you see."

"Is your Mother the Officer who sponsored you?" asked the recruiter.

"No, I am sponsored by Commander Spock who is the Executive Officer of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_." answered Naruto.

Cruze raised his eyebrows. "Commander Spock is quite famous you know."

Naruto replied, "I have had a correspondence with Commander Spock for years. I grew up knowing his Mother Lady Amanda Grayson."

The recruiter took some further notes and said, "You've already passed the physical so we'll be running a battery of tests on you to see what fields of duty you are best at. That doesn't mean you couldn't be in another branch of course. What branch were you hoping to serve in? Command, Engineering, Sciences, Security?"

"Sciences would be my first choice." answered Naruto. "I believe I'm best suited for that."

Cruze took some more notes down and said, "I'm going to take you to a learning station to test your aptitude now. There is no reason to be nervous given your education. There are a lot of questions that gage your personality so there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer. Do you understand?"

Naruto wanted to sigh. ' _More testing_ ….' "I understand perfectly sir."

….

Naruto stood at a testing station answering questions for nearly three hours. He found that about a quarter of them were psyche test questions and were very repetitive. ' _This is highly illogical. I have answered this same test question five times with different wordings each time. Twice would be sufficient_.'

One of the most illogical questions that Naruto found was:

 _How do you refer to members of the Klingon Empire?_

 _A) The Enemy_

 _B) The Klingons_

 _C) The Ridgeheads_

 _D) All of the above_

Naruto's blue eyes nearly bugged out. ' _What the hell kind of a question is this? What were they smoking when they created this test? Is this to weed out racists?_ '

Next the blonde hybrid was given several basic starship tactical challenges which he solved easily enough. Questions on the history of the United Federation of Planets were next. All in all the three hours went by fairly quickly….

...

Finally; the test screen went blank and the computer said, "Thank you for participating. Please return to the waiting room for further instructions."

….

Cruze was looking at Naruto's test with glazed eyes. He'd shown the results to the staff and they were all equally bewildered. "This boy….he uses the most unorthodox tactics I've ever seen in my life. He always won in the simulations but I've never seen anything like it. In order to win those you are _supposed_ to lose he actually _captured_ his opponent's vessels to use against other enemy ships."

"Put this one in the fast track for _Command_ ; not Sciences Mister Cruze." said his Commanding Officer.

"But he wanted Sciences sir." said the baffled Cruze.

His Commander said imperiously, "Then _make_ him want Command more. You're the recruiter."

"Yes sir." said Cruze weakly.

….

T'Lyra was waiting for Naruto outside by the bike when the blonde sauntered out. She was beaming. "Naruto, I've been accepted as a Crewman Recruit that specializes in engineering! It's just what I wanted. How did you do?"

The blonde hybrid said glumly; "They said to come back in a week because my application is under review."

T'Lyra's eyes flickered dangerously. "Your abilities and references are impeccable! You are my man. There is no reason to _review_ anything. What are those illogical humans doing in there? I ought to-"

Naruto gave his mate a tiny smile as he gently took her hand in his. "There are probably extenuating circumstances we can't fathom at this point. Let's get on the bike and go back to my place and relax. We'll talk to Mother there."

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto pulled into the garage and park the VK-220R in its usual place. T'Lyra had been rather disgruntled about the situation and she was worried that she was accepted and Naruto wasn't. Naruto on the other hand was more curious than anything else. ' _I think I'm in but there must be some kind of hold up_.' The blonde figured his Mother would have the answer but wasn't sure if T'Ara ever had anything to do with recruiting others.

A nine year old Talok opened the door revealing her dancer's body and how much she was growing to look like her beautiful Mother. "Naruto, T'Lyra; how did it go?"

T'Lyra took off her helmet and said, "I was accepted but Naruto was told to come back in a week."

Naruto took his own helmet off and nodded in agreement. "I believe I passed all of their requirements. It is most puzzling."

"That seems rather illogical." said Talok with her eyebrow raised the exact same way T'Ara and Naruto raised theirs.

"Logic doesn't seem to be a deciding factor there." said T'Lyra. "Everyone I was introduced to was a human."

The three walked inside the house and Talok shook her head. "That doesn't sound very promising. Why would they have human recruiters here on Vulcan?"

T'Ara overheard their conversation and said, "Starfleet is dominated by humans and the percentages show that Vulcans are terrible at recruiting others because we are too honest and frank about the facts. Starfleet isn't all fun and adventures as I've told you time and again."

"So humans intentionally gloss over the facts Mamma?" asked Talok. "That sounds very misleading."

"It would be more appropriate to say they are inclined to omit less savory facts about space travel and naval duties." explained T'Ara.

T'Lyra asked, "Mother T'Ara, can you think of a reason they would ask Naruto to come back in a week instead of accepting him like they did the others?"

T'Ara looked at her son for a moment and asked, "Did you do anything…. _unusual_ on their entrance exams Naruto? Special cases arise where someone is a bit _too_ good for standard training and they fast track them though it's rare."

"I can't think of anything I don't normally do on tests…." said Naruto. That's when he noticed all three women were staring at him with flat looks on their faces.

T'Ara's eyes glittered with humor. "How did you do on the test when your ship was outnumbered three to one?"

Naruto thought for a moment and said, "I did the logical thing. I charged the lead enemy vessel, captured it with boarding parties and used the captured ship along with mine to destroyed the two remaining enemy ships.**"

T'Ara gave one of her tiny smiles. "And that is why they set you back a week. The logical thing to do is _retreat_ Naruto. As usual you did something impossible so they probably figure you are some kind of a tactical genius."

"Naruto _always_ wins at strategy games Mamma." said Talok. "Are you surprised? The only way he plays is with unorthodox and unexpected strategies."

"I should have known." said T'Lyra as she shook her head. "My mate has _always_ been too smart for his own good."

Naruto had the decency to blush. T'Ara was simply amused….

….

 **Stardate 2271.267** **,** **ShiKhar City, Starfleet Recruiter's Office**

Lieutenant Cruze was sitting in front of Naruto and said, "The normal time for someone to go through Starfleet Academy is four years but because of your excellent performance not only on our entrance exams but your four years at the Vulcan Science Academy we are waiving your first two years of basic courses. Naturally, basic courses exclusively geared towards Starfleet will be required but the Commandant of Starfleet Academy is confident that you will be able to handle this. Your field of study is to be fast tracked to Command with your own choice of minor which I presume will be Sciences."

"Why is Sciences not my major?" asked Naruto.

"Your aptitude tests show that Command is your strongest ability. After that comes Sciences and Engineering." said Cruze. "I'm sure you understand that Starfleet needs leaders and someone such as yourself may be in training today but will be a leader tomorrow. Starfleet is investing a great deal in you to help you live up to your full potential. Of course your future success is entirely up to you."

….

Naruto shook his head and remembered his Mother's words. " _Starfleet will put you where they want you Naruto. It's a military organization. Don't expect everything to go your way_ ….' Naruto was understandably down due to his current circumstances. ' _As usual, Mother's assessment was correct. In six weeks I will be headed two San Francisco on Earth to attend Starfleet Academy. I won't see T'Lyra for at least two months while she is in Starfleet's boot camp and after that there will be two long years that we won't be seeing each other regularly because she will be on duty while I am in training. I expected some of this but facing the reality of it is difficult_.'

….

Five weeks later T'Lyra caught a passenger ship to Earth. A week later Naruto followed suit and boarded the starliner _Gossamer Dream_ to his own destination on the Planet Earth….

….

 **Stardate 2271.309 Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

 _Personal Log: My trip aboard the_ _Gossamer Dream_ _was pleasant enough. Most of the passengers aboard were fellow Starfleet Academy entrants from various places around the Federation. A few were Vulcan but I mainly saw humans and Andorians. There were also Deltans, Caitians and Trills among others. Interactions with them have been very taxing on my olfactory senses. Were it not for my previous experience with my friends Alison Fairbanks and Geoff Baker from the Vulcan Science Academy the smell of humans would be overwhelming. I find this surprising because my visit to the_ _Enterprise_ _was not as taxing. I hypothesize that the air cleansers on the_ _Enterprise_ _kept the air much cleaner due to it being a military vessel unlike the_ _Gossamer Dream_ _._

 _The shuttle trip down to Starfleet Academy was rather fascinating as Earth's climate is incredibly different from that of Vulcan. I am trying to keep a positive outlook about things and have been corresponding with T'Lyra when she is available. Unfortunately due to the nature of her training our contact is sporadic at best. Once we both are settled into our routine training schedules things will improve no doubt_ ….

Naruto felt the heavy shuttle come to a halt with a small bump along with the slight feeling of deceleration. When the side hatch opened Naruto grabbed his single piece of luggage with his personal effects and stepped out into the California sunlight and 26 degree Celsius weather. Naruto's eyes widened slightly when he saw the temperature. He muttered quietly to himself, "26 C? I'm used to cool days being 43 C. The Forge gets up around 65 Celsius. I suppose I'll just have to adjust to this climate."

Starfleet Academy was bustling with activity as cadets flowed in for the beginning of the semester. Naruto soon found himself herded into a large auditorium with everyone else. It was extremely loud by Vulcan standards. An officer stood up at the podium towards the center and said, "Attention Cadets! Before you are processed and given your new uniforms, our esteemed Academy Commandant Admiral Pye would like to impart a few words to you."

An elderly human took male the center stage and said in a voice rich with authority, "To the newest Starfleet Academy Cadets I bid you welcome. In the next four years the hardest challenges and greatest adventures you have ever known. You have earned the right to proudly wear your Starfleet Cadet's uniforms through feats in academics, physical prowess and above all else, character. You are the best your worlds have to offer and only the best can represent the United Federation of Planets in Starfleet."

"Starfleet and our ideals are needed by the Federation now more than ever before as we face outside pressures and push our knowledge to new boundaries through space exploration. We need those willing to answer the call of duty and to serve the Federation and what it represents. Each of you here has heard that call to duty and answered it. I congratulate you cadets; your adventure is just beginning." There was a loud but polite applause as Admiral Pye left the podium and the names of the cadets started being called to get into line to be processed….

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F**

The dorm rooms were laid out much like what you would find on a starship for junior officers. All in all Naruto's room was rather drab and sterile looking with two beds, two desks and a shared bathroom. Naruto noted a small shelf for books above each bed and two closets for one's wardrobe. It was arranged in a very ergonomic fashion which struck Naruto as logical even if it didn't suit his personal tastes.

Naruto was sitting on the bed in his new quarters waiting for his assigned roommate to arrive. All the blonde hybrid was told was his new roommate was named M'rella and that she was female. Naruto was a bit puzzled by the name. ' _M'rella doesn't seem to correlate with any naming conventions I can think of on planets I am familiar with. I suppose the logical thing to do is change into my Cadet's uniform and wait_.' Naruto slipped on his form fitting uniform and noted that it left little to the imagination. Black pants and boots with a snug shirt denoting his field of study: golden for command.

Naruto head the door slide open and saw a jet black Caitian female walk in. She took a good long look at Naruto and said in a purring, cat like voice; "Hmmm***….you don't smell like a human, I like those ears….I'm M'rella of Cait. Are you Naruto?"

' _Caitians are a felinoid race that hail from the planet Cait which was a Kzinti Colony in the ancient past. She's quite stunning_.' He gave the Vulcan salute and said, "Yes, I am Naruto of Vulcan. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Her amber eyes widened slightly. "You have an unusual appearance for a Vulcan. You are blonde and have whisker marks. Most Vulcans aren't nearly as handsome as you." she purred.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and noted her snug kimono like clothing and dainty digitigrade feet. Her black tail swayed softly with interest as she looked Naruto over. "You are in the fast track program as I am then? There are only about twenty of us."

' _There are that few?_ ' wondered Naruto. "Yes, I was waived half of my credit hours so I have 80 credit hours to take in the next two years. I'm studying for Command and Sciences."

"Hmmm." M'rella purred. She held up a blue shirt from her bag and said, "I'm majoring in Sciences and Communications. We Caitians have good ears so I was put in Communications whether I wanted it or not. Pardon me while I change into uniform." Naruto was going to leave to give her some privacy when M'rella disrobed _right there_ and gave Naruto an eyeful. Her glossy black fur was neatly groomed over every curve of her voluptuous body. Naruto blushed and turned away for the sake of decency. She was grumbling as she put on her uniform behind Naruto. "These human style clothes simply aren't designed for Caitians. My tail feels restricted and these boots are atrocious. I'd rather go barefoot."

Naruto turned around and saw the young Caitian woman was sitting on her bed really fighting with her boots. "Would you like some assistance?" asked Naruto.

"Ah, hmmm." she said. "That would be a big help." Naruto unzipped the side of each boot and helped M'rella maneuver them on. "So that's what those extra zippers are for." she said. "Thank you for your help Naruto. I am not fully used to these zippers yet." She added with a purr, "I believe we are going to be _good_ friends."

' _I wonder what_ _ **that**_ _entails_.' thought Naruto. ' _I need to study Caitian culture –and fast_.'

Soon the odd pair was exploring Dorm F. There were gymnasiums, movie theatres and a large communal dining hall. "Classes start in three days." said Naruto. "It would be to our advantage to locate the classrooms we are to attend."

M'rella purred happily in approval and said, "Let's explore the campus then. I want to see the sciences building first."

….

 **Sciences Hall**

"You already have _two_ Doctoral Degrees?!" asked M'rella surprised. "Hmmm. I have my Masters in Biology and Xenobiology and that put me in the fast track program. I'm surprised they didn't just send you into the fleet."

Naruto looked thoughtful and said, "Those of us in the fast track program need to be indoctrinated with Starfleet policies and procedures so I doubt they would do such a thing."

"Indoctrination sounds a lot like brainwashing." the Caitian female said with a chuckle.

Naruto was about to reply when a large human male said, "Well _hello_ pussycat." to M'rella. "You must be new here. I'm Joseph Kirov. How would you like a tour with yours truly?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "You are familiar with the facilities here upperclassman?"

Kirov turned to Naruto and said, "Oh sorry pal; I didn't notice you there. I was talking to pussycat here."

M'rella resisted the urge to roll her amber eyes and gripped Naruto's arm. "I believe that my companion and I will be fine exploring on our own. Thank you for your kind offer upperclassman Kirov." Pulling Naruto to the left she said, "Hmmm….let's go to the microbiology lab _right here_."

Kirov huffed as the Caitian girl completely blew him off. He figured he could talk to her later. ' _That black haired cutie is_ _ **hot**_ _. Shame I don't know biology. She just needs to see me fight. I'm a security specialist after all_.' The big man strutted off thinking of ways he could impress his latest female interest.

Inside the lab M'rella was talking to Naruto. "I truly like humans but I truly dislike when they are patronizing towards me. I am _not_ a pet cat; I am a Caitian." she huffed.

' _I never thought of that sort of problem_.' thought Naruto. ' _I suppose it would be the human equivalent of being called a monkey_ ….'

….

 **Dorm F, Gymnasium Number 3**

Back at Dorm F there was a large sparring ring where the cadets proved their mettle in the martial arts. It was here that a beautiful young blonde woman with an uneven bob haircut and ice blue eyes was making a name for herself. Samui Schrodinger**** was teaching an upperclassman what an elbow to the jaw could _really_ do as he staggered backwards in a daze and fell unconscious after a follow up straight punch to the face. As her opponent fell flat on the mat Samui adjusted her white karate gi that fit her impressive bust. Samui was an eighth degree black belt and essentially had been getting her workout in by kicking ass and taking names all afternoon.

One of the instructors that she pummeled earlier said; "That will be enough Cadet Schrodinger. Let someone else in the ring to have a turn."

Samui bowed and said, "Yes, sir." She tightened her black belt and left the ring to sit and watch with the other cadets practicing there. Almost all of them were her upperclassman but they gave the young woman wide berth.

"That is one scary chick…." said another cadet quietly.

"Who cares?" whispered another. "She's drop dead gorgeous. Just look at the rack on that girl! My phasers are locked."

Samui sat there thinking. She was ignoring the words from the peanut gallery. ' _This group isn't much of a challenge at all and most of them are security types. I've been fast tracked for Command. I wonder when I'll meet the others that skipped two years. Going to the University of Cambridge and getting my degree in Cosmology and Astronomy puts me way ahead of most of the graduates here; let alone the other cadets. Hopefully there will be some interesting people among the other fast track students_ ….'

….

 **Starfleet Academy,** **Stardate 2271.317**

 _Personal Log: After the first week my basic classes have presented no real challenges. What has been challenging has been cohabitating with M'rella. I realize I am very used to privacy and need to adjust my outlook. To this end I've had a shadow clone heavily studying Caitian culture and habits and have found that they are a warm and cooperative race that value loyalty and friendship above all else. They are very peace loving and abhor violence. They are also very neat and tidy. M'rella is very meticulous about cleanliness which I approve of and grooms herself often to prevent shedding of her fur._

 _On the negative side she is rather shameless and sleeps in the nude. She knows I am bonded yet I have been very embarrassed a number of times by her suddenly appearing out of the shower wearing nothing but a smile. M'rella is also flirtatious and likes to sit very close to me. She is very expressive and affectionate. While these seem to be common traits as far a she is concerned I have more than once nearly leaped to the ceiling to stick there with chakra. I wish T'Lyra was here but at the same time I believe she would find M'rella's behavior quite unacceptable_ ….

….

 **Starfleet Education Hall, Class:** ** _Starfleet Sciences I & II_**

"Good morning class." said Lieutenant Charles Cross.

"Good morning sir." chanted the entire class in answer to the Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Cross was a career Starfleet Officer that found his calling in teaching others. Mixed in his class were the 'fast track' students that he had to drill to a higher standard as they were considered future leaders whether they wanted it or not. And drill them he did. Cross was notorious for giving his lectures and shooting out rapid fire questions in the process. Regulations, etiquette, leadership skills….everything required for a future career as a Starfleet Officer….

As he lectured about Starfleet ethics, Cross suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed at Samui. "This is the basics of the basics people. Cadet Schrodinger, what is Starfleet General Order 1?"

Samui rattled out, "The _Prime Directive_ , also known as Starfleet General Order 1 or the Non-Interference Directive, is the embodiment of one of Starfleet's most important ethical principles: noninterference with other cultures and civilizations.

"Correct Cadet Schrodinger." said Cross. He snapped his fingers again and pointed at Naruto. "Cadet Naruto, give me a full description of the _Prime Directive_."

The blonde answered, "The _Prime Directive_ is as follows: As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Star Fleet personnel may interfere with the healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes the introduction of superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Star Fleet personnel may not violate this _Prime Directive_ , even to save their lives and/or their ship unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation."

…. _and so it went_ ….

….

After the class was dismissed the fast track students went towards their next class they all had together; _Planetary Survival I_. As they walked they were discussing Lieutenant Cross.

M'rella said, "Hmmm….Has anyone else noticed that Mr. Cross singles out the fast track students? His constant finger snapping is hard on my ears as well."

"He's probably under orders to." said Samui. "Cross breaking a finger or two so he couldn't snap would be tragic though." she added with a cold smile.

Naruto's mind immediately started whirring and clicking with plans to lube Lieutenant Cross's fingers so his snaps would be whisper quiet –if at all. ' _It's just a matter of finding the correct lubricant_ ….' thought Naruto deviously….

….

 **Communications Hall, Class: Public Speaking & Leadership II **

"I did this at Cambridge." groaned Samui under her breath as their teacher talked about the finer points of writing a speech.

Naruto nodded. "As did I at the Vulcan Science Academy."

"We _all_ did." growled another human fast track student.

Naruto was a bit bemused by his fellow fast track students. There was no doubt in his mind that they were all very smart and a bit eccentric (His friend Alison Fairbanks would have fit in perfectly). But more to the point; many of them bordered on arrogance. They _knew_ they were special and acted accordingly. Naruto felt this was undesirable and wondered how long it would be before the more pretentious members of their little group got thoroughly humbled. ' _It might be better to break up this group rather than let them develop a superiority complex_.' One that stood out as being downright pompous to anyone aside of his fellow fast track students was an Andorian male named Shar. He had a full Doctorate in Philosophy from the top University on Andor. Naruto really wondered why a philosopher would qualify as a Starfleet Officer but figured Starfleet must have had a reason….

Shar turned to Naruto and said, "You are a man of logic Naruto. Can you think of any _logical_ reason why we are suffering through this pedestrian and elementary course? It's so….mundane."

Naruto really wanted to sigh but said patiently, "Starfleet has to have each of us on the same page. Logically, I would be able to write a persuasive speech for Vulcans that would not be as persuasive to an Andorian audience. Conversely, you would be successful with Andorians but perhaps not as much to Vulcans. I believe they are attempting to round out our various skills to speak to _all_ cultures."

The young Andorian man pondered for a moment and said, "Well, I'm sure you feel it's unnecessary as we _all_ do but that would explain Starfleet's train of thought. Thank you my friend."

Naruto just nodded and got back to listening to the lecture. ' _Yes it is boring but it is a matter of necessity. The majority of Starfleet is made up of_ _ **humans**_ _after all_.'

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F**

Naruto was back in his quarters in the sitting area talking to T'Lyra over his tablet. T'Lyra was obviously very pleased to see him as all they had been corresponding with was text for the last three weeks. The brunette beauty was a bit dirty but had a healthy glow about her and Naruto could tell she was doing well. " _We're in Tunisia studying desert survival Naruto. Compared to The Forge back home this is easy. My classmates are having a rough time of it though. Humans sweat and lose water –a lot_." She crinkled her nose in reference to the smell.

Naruto's blue eyes held amusement and he said, "As long as you are doing okay. Our planetary survival course is all theory right now. We have yet to go into the field."

" _That sounds terribly difficult_." replied T'Lyra dryly. " _How you must be suffering in an air conditioned room_."

Naruto gave a tiny smile. "How did you get so dirty T'Lyra?"

She looked amused. " _One of our transports suffered a repulsor failure. I had to jury rig it so we could limp back to base. Our Warrant Officer didn't know how to fix it so I offered him some assistance_."

"That's my mate." said Naruto in approval.

" _I have to go Naruto_." said the brunette. " _Stay safe_."

"You stay safe as well T'Lyra. I hope we speak again soon." said Naruto. With that T'Lyra's image faded and the transmission ended….

….

 **Tunisia, Desert Training Station 16**

T'Lyra held her tablet close to her chest. ' _How I miss you Naruto_ ….'

"Our Vulcan babe looks lonely. Maybe she needs some tender loving care from yours truly." said Crewman Recruit Thomas Sullivan.

"I don't know Tommy, I think she was just talking to her boyfriend or something." said another.

"We'll see if she feels that way in the morning." said Sullivan with a greasy smile….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**This is _not_ the Kobayashi Maru test. That is a no win scenario involving the rescue of a freighter.

***M'rella's purring voice will be reflected with Hmmm or Mmmm sounds from time to time. I couldn't think of anything better of the top of my head. Purrr or Rrrrr just seemed off. I don't want her to sound like she's growling.

****Schrodinger is the name of Samui's adoptive parents. We'll go into her background later.

Well, we have some new characters this chapter and Naruto and T'Lyra are in training for Starfleet. We also have seen the return of Samui who has been absent for several chapters (Since chapter 3 actually). So, Naruto is surrounded by eccentric brainiacs and has a flirty feline roommate. T'Lyra in the meantime has attracted some attention herself. What will come of that? See you next time. Blue out. 4/18/17


	12. Chapter 12

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm working on _Darkness Rising_ but this story won't leave me alone. Here is chapter 12. Enjoy!

Last time:

 _"You stay safe as well T'Lyra. I hope we speak again soon." said Naruto. With that T'Lyra's image faded and the transmission ended…._

 _…._

 ** _Tunisia, Desert Training Station 16_**

 _T'Lyra held her tablet close to her chest. '_ _How I miss you Naruto…._ _'_

 _"Our Vulcan babe looks lonely. Maybe she needs some tender loving care from yours truly." said Crewman Recruit Thomas Sullivan._

 _"I don't know Tommy, I think she was just talking to her boyfriend or something." said another._

 _"We'll see if she feels that way in the morning." said Sullivan with a greasy smile…._

….

Chapter 12

 **Stardate 2271.317** **, Tunisia,** **Planet Earth**

Training Station 16 was a typical barracks for new recruits. Given it was a survival course, cheap and prefabricated tents were all the trainees had for shelter. Most of them were miserable in the sweltering heat of day and the freezing temperatures at night. It was lights out at 8 PM and most of them were struggling to sleep. Not so for T'Lyra. With her Vulcan physiology she was quite comfortable and was sleeping like a baby. She was dreaming about the past….

 _Dream…._

 _Vulcan Science Academy_

 _T'Lyra was sitting in the crowd watching the hand to hand combat matches that were held every year. Naruto was one of the finalists in the Freestyle Category. He had won the Kareel-ifla Category two days ago and it had been a severe upset because the scholars at the Vulcan Science Academy traditionally weren't that good at the martial arts. T'Lyra was very excited seeing her mate in action. As Sovar proudly stated, '_ _Naruto is extremely good at Kareel-ifla but combining the martial arts is where he truly shines_ _.'_

 _As it was the fifteen year old Naruto was taking on a twenty year old Vulcan from the Vulcan School of Defensive Arts that Sovar taught at. T'Lyra didn't catch Naruto's opponent's name but she did hear that he used the martial art of Suus Mahna** which was based on the concept of foresight and reaction. The art had a lot of side to side motion and the man Naruto was facing had basically leveled every opponent he'd faced without taking a hit in return._

 _Naruto fell into an offensive V'Shan stance which would be easy to predict because V'Shan was somewhat based on dancing and rhythm. Naruto's friends were sitting with T'Lyra and Senva said, "That's highly illogical for Naruto to use V'Shan. It is highly predictable and his opponent is counting on predictability."_

 _"Naruto probably is pulling a fast one knowing him." said Alison confidently. "You just watch."_

 _The match began and Naruto immediately went for the classic V'Shan opening foot sweep that his opponent countered with laughable ease and caused Naruto to go spinning. The crowd seemed disappointed at such an obvious opening when Naruto landed in a handstand with his elbows bent. The blonde hybrid channeled chakra into his arms and launched himself above and behind his opponent into a right side up position in the air. T'Lyra recognized the stance Naruto was in. He called it the Toad Style which was from his ancestral memories._

 _The blonde landed a devastating kick to the unprotected back of his opponent's head and then landed another kick to the twenty year olds' spine which sent him crashing and tumbling across the ring. Naruto landed with the grace of a big cat and waited for his opponent to make a move._

 _The Suus Mahna practitioner stumbled back to his feet in a daze but before he could get back in his stance Naruto used another of his ancestral moves called the Leaf Whirlwind that the blonde used to slide under his opponent and kicked him skywards. As the man fell back under the effect of gravity he saw Naruto's eyes crackle with chakra below him as the blonde assumed the Kareel-ifla stance for complete offense to assure maximum damage. '…._ _This is going to hurt_ _….' Were his last thoughts before Naruto hit him like a freight train…._

 _T'Lyra remembered how Naruto kissed her passionately after he won. Naruto won an Achievement in the Martial Arts Medallion to wear with his matching Academy Medallion. It had been a great day but T'Lyra thought the best part was the kiss they shared…._

 _Dream end_ ….

T'Lyra awoke instantly to the feeling of a weight pinning her and a hand over her mouth. In the low light she saw Recruit Sullivan on top of her. He had one arm pinning her wrists above her head and her brown eyes where full of shock. Sullivan said, "Don't you worry baby; I know you are lonely. Big Daddy is going to take care of you all night long." Sullivan ground into her and nuzzled her breasts. She violently shook her head ' _no_ ' with fear in her eyes. He pressed his index finger to her lips and said, "You'd like that wouldn't you baby?" Then her eyes blazed with anger...

A second later Sullivan was in a world of hurt. T'Lyra not only kneed him in the groin hard enough to send him over her and ripping through the tent wall into the sand outside. She also bit off his index finger at the second knuckle. Between Sullivan's screaming in pain outside, part of the tent collapsing and an angry T'Lyra roaring, " ** _HOW DARE YOU!_** " the camp was in utter pandemonium.

Sullivan was on the ground in the sand staring dumbly at the stump where his right index finger used to be when T'Lyra sprang on him in a V'Shan attack fueled by pure rage. When they finally managed to pull T'Lyra of off her would be rapist he looked like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces. The four Warrant Officers that managed to pull T'Lyra off Sullivan called for medics and took T'Lyra back to the Command tent. The young Vulcan woman had calmed herself somewhat by then and other than being completely disheveled and having Sullivan's blood all over her she was physically under control.

Seconds later; a stern looking woman in her mid forties was looming over T'Lyra. Chief Warrant Officer Ellie Nelson roared at T'Lyra, "EXPLAIN yourself to me recruit! WHY did you attack Sullivan?! Give me _one good reason_ to not dismiss you here and now!"

T'Lyra said plainly, "It was self defense; he tried to force himself upon me when I was sleeping."

Nelson's anger vanished and she whispered, "What….?"

"He pinned me with his body and covered my mouth so I couldn't call for help." said T'Lyra in an emotionless tone. "He made several sexual innuendos as he touched me inappropriately. I reacted the only logical way I could; with _extreme violence_."

Another Warrant Officer poked his head in the tent and said to Nelson, "We found Sullivan's finger Chief. It was in the tent where she spit it out."

Nelson's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't give a damn. Give it to the medics and call a Counselor for recruit T'Lyra. We're locking up Sullivan for sexual assault"

The Warrant Officer jumped back and said, "Yes Ma'am!"

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 125-F**

M'Rella was lying on her stomach on her bed reading over her homework as she listened to her Caitian acapella music which was composed of the soft purrs of her native tongue. She was in her short off duty kimono with her slender tail swaying back and forth to the beat when Naruto raced in with a wild look in his blue eyes. He looked frantic.

The young Caitian woman asked, "Hmmm….Are you alright Naruto? You look very out of sorts."

Naruto grabbed his tablet and said, "I felt great fear and anger telepathically from my mate. I have to contact T'Lyra immediately!" He grabbed his tablet and tried to signal her but got no response. After trying for about twenty minutes the blonde sat down and said to M'rella, "I'm going to try to contact her psychically. Neither one of us is as accomplished in psionics as we'd like but I must reach out to her." He immediately sat down in a meditative stance.

….

 **Training Station 16, Tunisia, Command Tent**

Chief Warrant Officer Nelson handed T'Lyra a flask and said, "Drink girl, you are still shaking all over and I know it's not from the cold." Seeing T'Lyra sniff the flask delicately Ellie said, "It's Saurian Brandy." T'Lyra took a drink and coughed before Nelson said, "Just sip it and relax. You've had a long night recruit." Hearing her name called Ellie said. "Sit tight. I'll be back in a few minutes."

T'Lyra felt the alcohol sooth her nerves a bit but then she felt he mate's presence though their psychic bond. Naruto was worried for her and that brought a tiny smile to her face. They weren't used to long distance communication like this but both Naruto and T'Lyra's emotions served to soothe and calm each other for several minutes before Chief Nelson returned. The Chief saw her charge's face looked much calmer. "Did that brandy help? You looked like you were talking to somebody."

T"Lyra nodded and said, "My mate Naruto contacted me psychically. He was concerned for me. I feel much better now. Thank you for the drink Ma'am."

Nelson looked intrigued. "So where is this man of yours?"

"Ah, he is in San Francisco here on Earth." said T'Lyra. "He is a Cadet Officer at the Starfleet Academy. He felt my distress through our bond and contacted me that way. I will have to call him on my tablet as soon as I am able."

Chief Nelson said, "Once we've recorded all your statements I'm turning you over to a Counselor. They'll probably let you call your man."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 125-F**

Naruto relaxed and opened his eyes. He saw M'rella looking at him curiously, "Are you alright now Naruto? Is your mate alright?"

"She is safe." said Naruto with a long exhale. "I will await her call. I was very concerned."

M'rella smiled and said, "Yes, I could feel the worry radiating off of you. It seems that Vulcan possess emotions after all."

Naruto sighed and said, "All Vulcans possess strong emotions whether they realize it or not. It nearly destroyed us in ancient times. That is why we adopted the philosophy of Logic so that those same violent passions would not rule us."

The Caitian girl propped her chin in her hand and said, "Tell me about Vulcan. All I've ever heard is it's a hot desert world."

Naruto thought for a moment at said, "Let me tell you about The Forge. It is a most wondrous place for Vulcans who reach out to it…."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 132-F**

Cadet Samui Schrodinger set down her tablet. Her homework was done and her Trill roommate Rafi was out having fun as usual. ' _I'll never understand that girl. Are all Trills so flighty? This_ _ **is**_ _the military_.' The beautiful blonde's tablet chimed and Samui quickly answered it with a minimalist smile. "Mum? I wasn't expecting a call but I'm glad to hear from you…. Yes; things are cool here with me."

 _Flashback…._

 _Samui's adoptive parents were both astronomers that lived in England. The Schrodingers were charged with the rather difficult duty of raising an Augment daughter who was genetically superior and twice as smart as all the other children around her. The girl was very self sufficient having lived on Trialis IV for a year by herself. The eleven year old was rather difficult to raise at first since two of her three favorite words were 'genetics' and 'superior.' (The other one was 'cool.') They imparted their own love of astronomy and cosmology on young Samui and soon their Augment daughter was eagerly learning all she could about the cosmos._

 _Samui also studied the horrors of the Eugenics Wars and concluded the Augments had it all wrong. While the scientists of the Earth's project to create augmented humans were successful in breeding a superior race; it led to the creation of genetically engineered madmen that sought to dominate their non modified brethren. According to the journal of one of the scientists that was responsible for the creation of the Augments, "Superior ability breeds superior ambition". This log was written shortly before he was killed by his own creations. Samui had grown to love her parents and the idea of turning on them because they weren't genetically modified abhorred the blonde girl._

 _Samui held that the place she should go was space to help_ _ **all**_ _of humanity to grow and thrive and her parents wholeheartedly supported this. The blonde concluded that she was a human first and an Augment second. Samui admitted that she tended to be a bit too arrogant and judgmental of others but at the same time she was working on it…._

 _Flashback end_ ….

Samui was explaining the fast track students to her Mother. "They are all rather eccentric in some way or other but I'm cool with that. I think once we start planetary survival it's going to separate the kids from the grownups awfully fast….Yes Mum, I know I'm five times stronger than an average human but trust me; I haven't been showing off as much like I used to….No, some of the others have doctorates too. I'm very impressed although we have an Andorian that has a Doctorate in _philosophy_. I have no idea why he wants to be an officer in the military….Maybe his Grandpapa is an Admiral or something.

….Alright, I love you Mum. Tell Papa I love him too. Bye."

 _Samui had turned out to be a good_ _ **human**_ _after all_ ….

….

 **Stardate 2271.318** **,** **Casablanca, Morocco**

Crewman Recruit Thomas Sullivan found himself in a hospital under the watch of four Federation Security guards of a less than friendly disposition. He remembered he was going to get lucky with the beautiful Vulcan girl and was holding her down so she couldn't struggle….Then he remembered the gentle girl turned into a violent hellcat and ripped him to shreds. "What the hell went wrong…?" he wondered aloud. "I had her and-"

"You'd best shut your mouth recruit." growled one of the female guards. "You're already up on charges and your chatter is incriminating."

Sullivan's eyes widened. "I'm up on charges?! Charges for what? I didn't do anything!"

A male guard said, "Shut up and wait for the Officers to arrive. You are in deep shit."

Sullivan shrank down in his hospital bed. He'd always considered himself a ladies' man but was starting to realize that he may have gone a little too far this time….

….

 **Training Station 16, Tunisia, Command Tent**

T'Lyra had a good shower to get the blood off her and was in fresh desert combat fatigues. The Counselor had arrived a few minutes before and now Counselor Janet Hope was talking with T'Lyra about her experience. "It was obviously very frightening for you. It would be for any female regardless of race." said Hope. "Had you interacted with Sullivan before? Had he ever talked to you?"

T'Lyra shook her head and said, "He and I exchanged greetings once and I handed him a jerry can with water in it when we were setting up the camp. We had no other interactions before he assaulted me."

Hope nodded and took some notes down. "Did he ever indicate he was attracted to you in a non verbal way?"

The Vulcan girl shrugged, "If he did I never noticed. I never associated with him or his friends."

"Do you think his friends were involved?" asked the Counselor.

"It's not logical to speculate." stated T'Lyra. "It would be best to ask them."

Janet had a smile on her face. ' _A very Vulcan way to handle the situation_.' "Why don't you indulge me with a little speculation Crewman Recruit T'Lyra?"

T'Lyra's flickered with irritation. "I have no evidence that any of his friends were involved. I would tend to think Sullivan acted alone."

….

Four of Thomas Sullivan's buddies were being questioned one after the other in a separate tent. Chris Copper looked exhausted as he was questioned. "Tommy always was a womanizer but I can't believe he went that far. I mean; that Vulcan woman is incredibly hot but Jesus….I guess Tommy lost all his sense in the heat of the moment."

The investigation Officer nodded and asked, "Do you know of anyone who might have aided Sullivan?"

Recruit Copper shook his head 'no.' "No one helped him. We all thought it was a bad idea and Grossman even said so. Tommy didn't listen."

"Recruit Grossman said as much." said the Officer as he took a notation. "We're done here Recruit Copper. Report back to your commanding officer."

….

Back in the Command tent, T'lyra had her tablet out and was talking to Naruto. It was the middle of the night in San Francisco but Naruto was wide awake. T'Lyra said, "I'm really alright Naruto. The situation is under control and my attacker is elsewhere under guard pending charges."

She saw Naruto's eyes blazing with chakra. It reminded her of the time he obliterated a boulder with an oodama rasengan. She could only imagine what it would do to a human like Sullivan. He asked her, " _Do you want me to come there?_ "

"There would be no logic in it Naruto." said T'Lyra. "Though it would be comforting to have you here we both have our assigned duties."

Naruto's body relaxed a bit. " _You are correct of course; still I would like to be close to you during this time_."

"I love you Naruto." said T'Lyra. "Know that I am fine and get some sleep."

Naruto's eyes stopped crackling chakra. " _And I love you T'Lyra. Goodnight my mate_."

T'Lyra deactivated her tablet and looked over her shoulder. "Do you always eavesdrop on the private conversations of others Counselor Hope?"

Hope looked embarrassed. "Forgive me recruit; I came in and you were talking. I've never heard a Vulcan say _I love you_ before."

The Vulcan girl said, "My mate and I are very open to one another. I suppose it is unusual but it works for us. Besides, I had to put his mind at ease. He would hunt Sullivan to the ends of the galaxy given the chance."

"Your mate sounds like an unusual Vulcan." said the Counselor humorously.

T'Lyra nodded with a tiny smile and said, "My mate is quite exceptional."

….

 **Stardate 2271.318** **,** **Starfleet Academy**

 _Personal Log: My mate T'Lyra has gone through a trial she should never have had to go through. I am looking into the regulations regarding the situation. I spoke with Lieutenant Cross about the matter because he knows Starfleet regulations better than anyone else teaching me. He assured me that the case would be dealt with swiftly and that T'Lyra's attacker would be dismissed from service at least and incarcerated at the most. I was put at ease by his reassurance on the matter. Today the fast track students are learning starship navigation, helm and other controls in the full simulator for the first time_ ….

….

Naruto was at the helm station of a simulated _Burke_ class frigate for the first time. He was given fifteen minutes of free maneuvering to get used the way the simulated 'ship' handled. At the navigator's station was the Female Trill Rafi and in the command chair was Samui Schrodinger. M'rella was at the sciences station and the Andorian Shar was at the communications station. (He was disgruntled that he wasn't in the command position).

' _This isn't that different from handling my speeder bike_.' thought Naruto. ' _It takes care but the ship responds smoothly with about a five second lag. It is simple matter of anticipating the flight path_.'

Their instructor, Commander Triella Jackson from the Mars Colonies soon called them to attention. "Alright Cadets; you've had your fifteen minutes of playtime. Let's reset the simulator to zero. For the next hour you are taking _NCC-300 U.S.S._ _Burke_ on a mission near….Well, you'll figure it out."

The screen reset and showed them in space clipping along at warp factor four. Samui immediately said, "What is our location Rafi?"

"We're in the Verex System in the Borderlands Area near the Klingon Empire." answered the Trill. "Verex III is a former Orion Syndicate World. According to our information it is still pretty lawless."

"Give me wide sensor scan at maximum range M'rella." said Samui. "I want know if any other vessels are in the system, hostile or otherwise."

M'rella looked into her sensor screen at the sciences station. "Hmmm….I don't see anything at this point Samui. I'm going to look for ion trails in case someone is hiding in the system."

"I'm picking up a distress call Samui." said Shar. "A freighter named the _Pollux_ in distress off Verex VII. It's on the far side of the gas giant planet being attacked by pirates."

Samui said, "Red alert. We are going to rescue the freighter. Put us on course for Verex VII Naruto, warp factor six. Try to get a lock on the freighter M'rella. Shar, contact the _Pollux_ and inform them we're on our way."

M'rella said, "The freighter is throwing of a ton of jamming ECM***. It looks like the pirate's shots are going wide. They are moving at warp three towards us."

Rafi focused on the screen and her eyes narrowed. "The pirates are coming into our visual range. I've identified the Orion ship as the Light Raider _Ersatz_."

"On screen; magnify." said Samui. A small, sleek Orion ship was shooting wildly as it pursued the larger freighter. "The _Ersatz_ is no bigger than us. We can take her on. Hail the Orion and tell them to cease and desist Shar."

"No reply from the _Ersatz_." said Shar. "The _Pollux_ says her rear shields just collapsed."

Naruto said, "The _Pollux_ is throwing off way too much ECM for a freighter; something is amiss Samui. A standard freighter shouldn't have those kinds of electronics."

Samui's brain started whirring at warp speed. "M'rella, scan the _Pollux_ closely. Naruto, angle us towards the Light Raider."

M'rella's amber eyes widened. "The freighter doesn't match the warp signature of the _Pollux_. I'm showing no damage to the freighter at all."

"It's a trap. That freighter is Orion as well." said Rafi.

"Naruto, break hard right!****" ordered Samui. "Reinforce our facing shields!"

The _Burke_ veered to the right and narrowly missed the arc of phasers that lit up from the false _Pollux_ and the _Ersatz_. The _Burke_ shuddered as the phasers grazed the ship's bow and left forward shields.

"Damage report!" said Samui.

"Shields one and six are holding at 75% and 71%" said M'rella. "We can still fight."

"Naruto, give us some distance, we can't take both ships at once." said Samui. "Shar, signal Starfleet Command and inform them of the enemy vessels in the area. After that we need to neutralize this threat. Give me options people."

"We could withdraw. Winning this battle isn't crucial." said Shar. That earned him a sharp glare from Samui.

"They are a threat to Federation shipping in the area." said Rafi. "We can't ignore that."

"We are in a position to hit and fade as long as the Light Raider stays with that freighter." said Naruto. "If they want us the _Ersatz_ is the only one that can keep up with us. The fake _Pollux_ we can take apart after we've dealt with the _Ersatz_."

Samui nodded. "Then we have to bait them. Put us on a parallel course Naruto."

"The _Ersatz_ is transmitting encrypted codes to the freighter Samui." said Shar.

"Try to decrypt them Shar." said Samui.

"The False _Pollux_ is withdrawing Samui." said M'rella. "The _Ersatz_ is charging us -at warp factor eight."

"They are really pushing it then." said Naruto.

Samui commanded, "Bring us about to face them Naruto. Rafi, prepare a full salvo and fire on my mark. Battery reinforcement to front shields."

The _U.S.S. Burke_ pivoted neatly around in a tight turn to face the Light Raider _Ersatz_. _'30,000km, 20,000km, 10,000km_ ….' Samui's ice blue eyes seemed to flash. "Fire!"

….Three phasers and two photon torpedoes lanced into the speeding Orion ship a second before the _Ersatz_ could fire their own weapons. The results were spectacular as the demolished Orion ship careened by out of control. The _Ersatz_ was only able to answer with one phaser which did minor shield damage to the _Burke_.

"Excellent shooting Rafi." complimented Samui as she watched the left engine separate from the Orion ship. "M'rella, get me a scan of the Light Raider. Shar, hail the _Ersatz_ and inform them-"

M'Rella said, "The _Ersatz_ just went critical. They've self destructed." The crew watched as the wrecked pirate ship blew up on screen. The _Burke_ shook a bit at the shockwave from the explosion but suffered no further damage.

….The lights suddenly switched back to normal from red alert and the view screen said in all capital letters, 'SIMULATION ENDED.'

….

The 'crew' of the _Burke_ all exhaled. "That was exhausting." said Shar.

"I'm more concerned with our grades." said Rafi.

M'rella nodded. "Hmmm….It seemed very realistic and frightening."

They soon filed into their classroom where the five of them were to receive their grades. Commander Jackson was their waiting and said, "You kids didn't do too badly for your first time out. There is an 85% fail rate for that scenario and given the fact you deliberately weren't given clear objectives it was even more likely that you would fail. "Very nicely done. You will get your performance evaluations next time. Class is dismissed."

….

Jackson was filing her report for her superiors and made a notation for later. ' _Note on fast track group A:_ _They acclimated quickly and though they are very rough around the edges they show great promise. As a group they have superb instincts. Need to toughen up that Andorian_.'

….

 **Mess Hall**

"Most Vulcans are vegetarians." explained Naruto as he picked at/ate his lunch. "I'm becoming acclimated to Terran foods. The food here they pass off as Vulcan cuisine here is quite unpalatable."

Shar said, "You should complain to the faculty. Surely we fast tracked students deserve better."

Naruto shook his head, "There are enough issues without _making waves_ as my human friends always said back at Vulcan Science Academy. There is a certain animosity towards our group getting special treatment and drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves would not be in our best interests."

"Hmmm…. Cooperation with others is paramount in our situation." said M'rella.

Rafi grinned. "Your people get along with everybody M'rella." The Trill dug into her lunch. "I find human foods to be pretty good but I'm not a vegetarian like you and Naruto."

"Vegetarianism always struck me as odd for a felinoid race personally." said Shar bluntly. "Aren't Kzinti's and Lyrans almost exclusively carnivorous?"

M'rella smiled and said in her soft purring voice, "Hmmm….They are also warlike and violent unlike we Caitians. My people sometimes eat fish but that is all the meat we eat. Even then it is rare we consume meat of any type."

Samui was eating liver and onions and beginning to wonder if she should be eating it in front of her new vegetarian comrades….

Naruto said, "Navy food is something to adjust to just like everything else. You seem to be adjusting well to it Shar."

"That's because he's eating Andorian fast food from Shrenk'yar's restaurant on campus." said Rafi. Then she added with a grin, "I somehow never would have guessed a cultured philosopher such as yourself would lower himself to fast food Shar."

The Andorian huffed, "At least it's genuine cuisine from my home world. Besides, Tuber Root Pops are a delight to the palette. So are their Redbat Sandwiches."

"Redbat?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, the redbat is a small mammal that is native to Andoria's Moon." said the philosopher. "It's used to make the Impararay Redbat dish….and Redbat Sandwiches at Shrenk'yar's."

As the small group of fast track cadets discussed food another group sat down a table over. They were Fourth year upperclassman and were discussing a defeat they'd suffered earlier that day….

The first Fourth year said, "….Whoever was in the Frigate _Burke_ played us for complete fools. I'd like to know who it was. They zipped away and totally avoided our ambush with the Pollux. On top of that they _had_ to have known we had plasma torpedoes so they blew us away an impulse before we opened fire. They were probably graduates instead of cadets. I'd love to punch whoever was in command of that frigate."

Shar was about to say something when Samui covered his mouth and shook her head 'no.'

"….All I know is they were supervised by Commander Jackson and she's the toughest instructor when it comes to simulations _and_ grading." said a second Fourth year. "She isn't nicknamed _The Meat Grinder_ for nothing."

 _'_ _That's just great_.' thought the five fast track students. ' _Commander Jackson is our regular instructor_ ….'

Another Fourth year said, "Well, I think that our Commander lost a bet with Commander Jackson. "He was really pissed at us for dying."

The first Fourth year said, "Yeah, he gave us a royal ass chewing for not even blowing down the shields of the _Burke_. What were we supposed to do? We were using textbook Orion tactics."

As the Fourth year Cadets griped in the background about killing those responsible for their disgraceful defeat; the fast track students ate their meals as quietly as possible and slipped away as soon as they were finished….

….

 **Stardate 2271.320** **,** **The Dasht-e Loot Desert, Iran**

"This little trip to Iran will enlighten you to the joys of desert Planetary Survival." said Lieutenant Franz in a way too cheery voice. "In old Persian this place was known as _The Emptiness Desert_. The temperatures here can reach up to 70 degrees Celsius and it is considered among the driest and hottest places on the planet Earth. I hope you read your chapters on desert survival class; bwahaha!"

Their shuttles soon landed at a remote spot where there were huge sand dunes that were nearly 300 meters tall. Down in a basin was a setup that looked like a camp of sorts laid out like a wrecked ship. Lieutenant Franz said, "This is where your ship 'crashed' and your job is to keep each other alive for one week. Your ship is named the _Queen of the Desert_ haha! There are a few supplies here and there but if you packed your backpacks correctly then you have everything you should need. Outside of that each of you has a wrist communicator that will monitor your health. You can call to be picked up at any time but remember if we extract you then you fail and you'll have to take the test all over again."

….

As the last of the twenty fast track students got off the shuttles into the searing heat Franz said, "One last thing to remember; cannibalism is a sure way to get a demerit so if you think your teammates look tasty then consider your grades! Bwahaha! Aloha kiddies!"

"Aloha?" asked Naruto.

Samui explained, "It's an informal Hawaiian greeting that can mean _hello_ or _goodbye_. Lieutenant Franz was saying it in a jaunty way to be obnoxious."

"The obnoxious part I ascertained." said Naruto. "I simply did not know the term aloha."

 **Day One**

Naruto found himself some time alone after the initial organization of the group and decided to make a log entry….

 _Personal Log: We've thoroughly explored the wreckage of our 'ship' and found a shield generator that Cadet Kirel and Rafi are converting it to use solar power to tie into the communications array that we are converting into a solar absorption panel. I've been put in charge of keeping everyone abreast of the rules of desert survival. If all goes according to plan then by day three we will not only have a shield to protect us from temperature extremes and winds; we will be protected from the harmful UV rays that cause sunburn._

 _It is fair to say this is a group effort because only with all of our advanced degrees would we have been able to construct the apparatus necessary to protect ourselves. On a personal note I believe we are completely undermining the point of this test in the process…._

 **Day Two**

 _Personal Log of M'rella, supplemental: Our 'Sand shield' generator is working perfectly and was done twelve hours ahead of schedule so our second night here in the desert will not be uncomfortable at all. The rations we carry are unappetizing but sufficient for our needs. As overheating or freezing is no longer an issue we are no longer going through our supplies at the rate we initially estimated. After a thorough reassessment by our medics we have concluded that our supplies will last us ten days if necessary._

 _It seems that boredom is a bigger enemy than the elements at this point. To this end we have been teaching each other about the environments we grew up in. Everyone seemed particularly interested about living in the desert on Vulcan and there was a large question and answer session after Naruto's description. This is starting to seem more like a seminar than a survival trip_ ….

 **Day Four**

 _Personal Log of Samui Schrodinger: It seems that this training that Lieutenant Franz set up as a torture session has turned into a meeting of the minds. As our group is bored we set about modifying the_ _Queen of the Desert_ _to be a bit more comfortable. Since we all brought our tablets with us we are catching up on all of our homework and reading up on our next section in Planetary Survival which is Underwater Survival. Our biologists have been studying the native flora and fauna so we can eat something aside of rations._

 _As it turns out, Cadet Brisco is quite gifted in the culinary arts and has prepared us a virtual feast using the bare utensils we have. Our entire crew is quite pleased having food to eat that doesn't taste like sawdust bricks (or rations as Starfleet calls them). I have this feeling that Lieutenant Franz is going to blow a gasket when he finds out…._

 **Day Seven**

Lieutenant Franz got off the shuttle expecting to find a bunch of exhausted, starving Cadets glaring at him with pure hatred in their eyes at the horrors they'd endured and maybe bordering on dehydration. Instead he found a climate controlled area surrounding the _Queen of the Desert_ and the smell of something delicious cooking. " ** _W-w-wh-What in the Hell is going on here?!"_** he screeched red in the face.

" ** _This is supposed to be desert survival, not a vacation damn it!_** "echoed across the landscape….

….

POSTSCRIPT

**Suus Mahna is the name given to a Vulcan martial art that takes many years of training to learn. Suus mahna is a basic-level martial art taught to most Vulcan children that resembles yoga or tai chi. The concept of suus mahna is to teach offensive and defensive maneuvers in very slow motion, so that the body may instinctively learn to react in the proper ways. It involves a lot of flexibility. Within the art, there is a special move known as the Navorkot which teaches the practitioner a way to evade incoming blades. This is done by jumping to the side and rolling based on reading the movement of the enemy and to foresee when, as well as where, they intend to strike.

***Electronic Counter Measures to jam enemy sensors.

****I'm using left and right instead of Port and Starboard to prevent confusion among the readers.

My initial draft was all about the suffering of a bunch of geniuses out in the heat of the desert by a simulated crashed small freighter. Then I thought to myself, a bunch of people with doctorates would probably look for a solution instead of coping with the problem. So poor Lieutenant Franz who is a bit of a not-so-closeted sadist really had his day ruined instead. We also got to see some (simulated) ship to ship combat. And, we got to see the generally shy and gentle T'Lyra kick some ass. A lot of people were sending me threats about that business. For those of you that were concerned I've never written a rape scene in any of my stories and I don't intend to start now. See you next time. Blue out. 4/20/17


	13. Chapter 13

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter we'll have a bit more space combat (this won't be a regular thing every chapter). A lot of people requested Naruto in the Captain's chair so here we go. I also am using port and starboard as an experiment the next couple of space battles so if you prefer that or left and right let me know. Here is chapter 13. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 ** _Day Four_**

 _Personal Log of Samui Schrodinger: It seems that this training that Lieutenant Franz set up as a torture session has turned into a meeting of the minds. As our group is bored we set about modifying the Queen of the Desert to be a bit more comfortable. Since we all brought our tablets with us we are catching up on all of our homework and reading up on our next section in Planetary Survival which is Arctic Survival. Our biologists have been studying the native flora and fauna so we can eat something aside of rations._

 _As it turns out, Cadet Brisco is quite gifted in the culinary arts and has prepared us a virtual feast using the bare utensils we have. Our entire crew is quite pleased having food to eat that doesn't taste like sawdust bricks (or rations as Starfleet calls them).I have this feeling that Lieutenant Franz is going to blow a gasket…._

 ** _Day Seven_**

 _Lieutenant Franz got off the shuttle expecting to find a bunch of exhausted, starving Cadets glaring at him with pure hatred in their eyes at the horrors they'd endured and maybe bordering on dehydration. Instead he found a climate controlled area surrounding the_ _Queen of the Desert_ _and the smell of something delicious cooking. "_ _ **W-w-wh-What in the Hell is going on here?!**_ _ **"**_ _he screeched red in the face._

 _"_ _ **This is supposed to be desert survival, not a vacation damn it!**_ _"echoed across the landscape…._

….

Chapter 13

 **Stardate 2271.327** **,** **Starfleet Academy** **, San Francisco,** **Planet Earth**

Naruto was sitting in Lieutenant Cross's Class, _Starfleet Sciences_ and was rather distracted by the situation with T'Lyra. He'd gotten back from _Planetary Survival_ in Iran just yesterday and hadn't been able to contact his mate….T'Lyra left a message that she was going to be off planet training for three weeks. That was all the blonde really knew. Naruto supposed he was rather depressed when a human Ensign with an engineer's uniform entered the classroom and passed a data pad to Cross. The Lieutenant's eyebrows shot up and he looked directly at Naruto. "Cadet Naruto; by orders of Commander Montgomery Scott you are excused from Class. Go with Ensign Powell."

Naruto stood up and replied, "Yes, sir." He made eye contact with M'rella and the Caitian female nodded and motioned that she would take notes for him. As the blonde gathered his things he pondered, ' _I heard the_ _Enterprise_ _returned from her last five year mission and was in dry dock. I haven't had contact with Chief Engineer Scott in years other than the occasional well wishing. He's a very busy man of course_ ….'

Ensign Powell introduced herself as she led Naruto along. "I'm Ensign May Powell; it's nice to meet you Cadet Naruto. Commander Scott seems very excited to see you. He asks that you bring your data on your warp theorem. We are to meet him in the Engineering Hall once we've retrieved it. You are in Dorm F correct?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yes, I'm in room 125-F. I can retrieve the data but a standard tablet won't handle it. I have an entire extended memory module dedicated to the Curved Transitional Warp Theorem."

She raised her eyebrows. "An entire extended memory module?" She chuckled. "That's a huge amount of space. What is it, a warp field design for an entire starship or something?"

The blonde simply stated, "That's precisely what it is. I've been developing it for years. Didn't Commander Scott tell you?"

The Ensign's eyes goggled, "Are you serious? Aren't you just a Cadet?"

"I am a graduate of the Vulcan Science Institute with two Doctoral degrees." said Naruto "One is in Astrophysics and Astrodynamics."

"And the other?" May asked curiously.

"Genetics and Xenobiology." replied the blonde. At her incredulous look he simply stated; "I have wide interests."

"I guess you do." she replied in an impressed tone.

….

Naruto retrieved his theorem's memory module from a security safe in his quarters he shared with M'rella and soon the he and Ensign Powell were at the Engineering Hall. They quickly found Commander Scott entering data into a simulator that was for starship design. Naruto noticed the Chief Engineer of the _Enterprise_ hadn't changed much but was sporting a moustache now.

Scotty turned to face them and gave them a smile that lit up the room and shook Naruto's hand. "Naruto, let me have a look at you lad. You've grown into quite a man since I last saw you Cadet; or do you go by _Doctor_ Naruto now?"

Naruto raised an amused eyebrow and said, "Either is fine Commander Scott. It is good to see you in good health sir."

The _Enterprise's_ Chief Engineer turned to May and said, "You know warp theory well May. Wait until you see this." He activated the display and said, "Computer, display Command Cruiser plus refit design number 23A, NCC-1701 _U.S.S. Enterprise_." A holographic display of a newer, sleeker _Enterprise_ appeared on the holographic display.**

Naruto looked at it with great scrutiny and said, "You swept back the warp engine pylons to eliminate the critical warp buffeting my theory shows at warp factor four."

Montgomery Scott laughed and slapped Naruto on the back. "I _knew_ you'd get it lad!"

May asked confused, "You are showing this to a _Cadet_ sir?! This is _classified_ information!"

Scotty grinned and said, "Ensign Powell, _Doctor_ Naruto is a consultant we can trust. Besides, his Curved Transitional Warp Theorem is finally going to be applied for real if I have my way. Naruto, may I apply your theory to this new design for comparison purposes to a standard warp field that has a maximum warp factor of eight?***"

Naruto took the security lock off his memory module and handed it to Scotty. "This will be interesting seeing the theorem applied in its completed form Commander Scott. By all means proceed."

The Chief Engineer grinned manically and plugged the module into the computer. When it finished loading minutes later Scotty already had a display of the _Enterprise_ with a standard warp field projected from it and another _Enterprise_ above it with no warp field projected. The module beeped and the computer said, "Upload complete."

"Watch this Ensign Powell. We'll see if I'm right." said Commander Scott. "Computer, apply the new warp field just uploaded to the upper example."

"Working, adjusting parameters." said the computer in an emotionless voice. "Application complete, projecting."

Ensign Powell watched in fascination as a new, tighter and smoother warp field appeared with a warp factor of _one_ beside it. It expanded to _two, three, four_ and so on until it reached _nine_ and the computer said, "Warp factor nine is the furthest design number 23A's structural integrity can handle. Theorem applied could go faster with increased structural strength however."

"You could break every speed record in Starfleet history with this curved warp field!" gasped Powell in shock.

"Exactly!" said Scotty exuberantly. He beamed at the blonde. "Lad; we need to get your theorem patented right away. Starfleet will owe you a great debt if you allow it to be used. That's a feather in your cap that will open a lot of doors for you in the future."

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F**

 _Personal Log, supplemental. Today I spent a great deal of time with Commander Scott who has a number of patents himself. All those years ago when I showed him my basic idea he said it was brilliant. Though I was honored I never imagined he would design a ship tailored to my theory. With Commander Scott's guidance I found that it was not difficult to obtain a patent with the proper 'connections' as he put it. My new patent is the Curved Transitional Warp Theorem or shortened to Curved Warp Field. I am very excited to see it applied to the_ _Enterprise_ _. It will be 18 to 24 months before the ship is finished so it is something to look forward to….Unfortunately the information regarding the_ _Enterprise_ _is classified until further notice so I won't be able to share anything about it except my theorem is now patented…._

 _It has been a fulfilling but exhausting day…._

Naruto finished putting his log entry into his tablet about the time M'rella came back from classes….with Naruto's homework as well as her own.

She purred happily, "Hmmm….so how was your day of skipping classes and who is Commander Montgomery Scott? Our instructors seemed quite impressed that you knew him."

The blonde set his tablet down and answered, "Commander Montgomery Scott is the Chief Engineer of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. He is a bit of a living legend. He helped me get a warp theorem patented today that I've been developing over the past few years."

M'rella smiled and winked an amber eye. "Why do I get the impression there is a lot more to the story than that? How did you meet him to begin with?"

Naruto spent some time explaining how he'd been allowed to visit the _Enterprise_ as a boy a few years ago and how he met Mister Scott and the various members of the crew. After that Naruto tackled his homework at full speed….

….

 **Zero-G Training Center, Phobos, Moon of Planet Mars**

T'Lyra was really enjoying being in space. Being in zero gravity was scary at first but after a day or so of getting the hang of it the young Vulcan woman had taken to it like a fish to water. The only downside for T'Lyra was she hadn't been able to contact Naruto as he was 'marooned' in Iran training for Planetary Survival when she was picked to head out to Mars. The only choice had been to leave a message. There weren't that many communications relays on Phobos given it was a tiny moon (only 27km across at its largest diameter) orbiting Mars. Only priority communications went to or from Phobos; talking to your loved ones was _not_ considered priority.

The brunette beauty was also was learning how to pilot a Work Bee**** which was a single seat service shuttle used for maintenance and utility work on the outside of ships and bases. Its controls reminded her very much of a speeder bike so it was easy to adapt. There was nothing glamorous about the little utility vehicle but the simple, robust design appealed to T'Lyra because of how logically it was made and laid out. It could act independently with manipulators for handling materials, welding, drilling, etc. The little vehicles could also attach to trams and other devices via magnetic lock to tow or move materials much larger than themselves. Aside of the fact Work Bee was ponderously slow it was fun as far as the Vulcan girl was concerned.

' _I wonder what Naruto is doing at this moment_.' thought T'Lyra to herself. ' _I'm sure he's back at Starfleet Academy by now_.' She was currently maneuvering her Work Bee through an 'obstacle course' of building materials. It wasn't difficult but if you did crash into something the little utility craft was tough enough that all it did was ding the paint. That's when she saw another Work Bee go tumbling by apparently out of control. As it spun by she saw her dark haired classmate Brea Mathuin at the controls looking panicked.

Brea's voice came over the com link and the dark haired Irish girl was cursing up at storm before she called out, " _T'Lyra; help me! This piece of cac is –stop spinning, caich ort! I'm gonna get sick!_ "

T'Lyra said calmly, "Your aft thrusters are in the fully down position and they are making you spin. Turn off all your thrusters and I'll catch you." ' _I didn't understand half of what Brea just said….perhaps it's best that way_.' The young Vulcan woman waited until the thrusters on Brea's vehicle stopped and then caught her careening comrade with the manipulators on her Work Bee which brought the other vehicle to a sudden halt. "Are you alright Brea?" asked T'Lyra.

" _Shite that was close_." whispered the young Irish woman. She sighed. " _Thanks T'Lyra, I owe you one! Remind me to buy you a drink when we get back to civilization_."

" _Work Bee Five and Seven, what the hell is going on up there?!_ " crackled a male voice over the com link.

Brea roared, " _This is Seven! The aft thrusters on this bloody hunk of junk are stuck in the downwards position! ….Er, ummm, sir_."

T'Lyra nearly face faulted at Brea's lack of tact. "This is Work Bee Five. I am preparing to tow Work Bee Seven in via magnetic lock as there may be a malfunction with that Work Bee."

The controller's voice suddenly sounded a bit tired. " _Proceed Work Bee Five. Bring Work Bee Seven back to the repair hanger where we can check it out_."

"Roger that." said T'Lyra as she backed her Work Bee in front of Brea's and activated her towing magnets.

There was a dull 'clunk' noise and Brea said over the com, "Docking complete. Take us home T'Lyra."

….

Soon T'Lyra and Brea Mathuin were before their training Officer who was giving Brea a royal ass chewing for disrespecting a superior officer. T'Lyra fought the urge to face palm as their superior had a bipolar mood swing and praised T'Lyra for handling things properly before he dismissed them. The dark haired Brea looked a bit sheepish but was unrepentant for the most part. She grinned, "Say T'Lyra; how'd you learn to fly so well? You handle that Work Bee like a professional."

The young Vulcan woman said, "I used to ride speeder bikes and drive hovercraft back on Vulcan. It just comes naturally to me."

"Slick!" said Brea. "I guess I should have learned to drive back in high school. It just didn't interest me."

"How did you travel then?" asked T'Lyra curiously.

Brea smiled. "I mainly used public transportation or horseback. My hometown is pretty rural and we like it that way."

The Vulcan girl was puzzled. "Why did you join Starfleet then? If you like living in a rural community Starfleet seems like an illogical choice."

"My Grandpa was in the service and told me since I was a little girl that I should follow in his footsteps and go into space." said the Irish girl. "It's not the fairy tale I'd imagined but I like it anyway."

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F, Starfleet Academy** **, San Francisco,** **Planet Earth**

Naruto had a pair of shadow clones help him finish his homework while M'rella slept. Somehow the blonde managed to keep his shadow clones a secret from his roommate although there were several close calls.

 _Personal Log; Stardate 2271.328: Today we are going to M'rella's least favorite class, Basic Self Defense. Given the fact that Caitians abhor violence in any form it is very difficult for her to participate in class. She is quite good with a phaser though and considers it a tool as much as a weapon. At any rate I am helping her by teaching her a few moves from Ponn-ifla which are purely defensive. She is flexible enough to use the style despite the differences in physiology. I've actually been told that I belong in the advanced class except for phasers and marksmanship. Cadet Samui Schrodinger and a few others are in the same situation I am so our instructor Lieutenant Kaufmann has us spar with her or help to train others so we don't humiliate them_ ….

The blonde hybrid finished his log entry and set down his tablet. ' _I wonder how T'ra is doing this morning….I wish I could contact her_.'

….

 **Physical Education Hall**

Naruto stood on the mats facing his opponent, Samui. They'd never faced each other up to this point and many of their classmates had running bets on this match. Lieutenant Jenny Kaufmann said "Begin!" and both combatants exploded into blurs the moment that the word was said. Samui thought that Naruto had the physical strength of a normal Vulcan but was taken off guard when he had _twice_ that strength.

' _Damn! He's stronger than I am_.' thought Samui sweating. ' _If I'm going to win I can't hold back_.' Samui took the offensive and found that Naruto changed gears and was in a totally different fighting stance than his usual V'Shan.

Naruto switched to Kareel-ifla and thought to himself, ' _Samui is unexpectedly good. I believe she's been holding back on the others all this time_.'

The two blondes exchanged several blows before Samui launched a brutal combo and followed up with a roundhouse kick to Naruto's face….or that was the plan until Naruto _caught_ her kick and stopped her mid motion. The young woman's ice blue eyes widened in shock as an unmistakable glint of pure mischief filled Naruto's azure pools. Changing his grip on her foot, the blonde hybrid flipped the young augment woman right out of the sparring ring and ended the match.

Lieutenant Kaufmann called the match and thought to herself, ' _Note to self; never seriously take on Naruto or Samui bare handed_.'

Their classmates were sitting there baffled as most of the fight had been too fast for most of them to even follow. Samui's hair was all over the place when she got back in the ring. She was a bit dizzied and looked very sweaty and disheveled. The two competitors bowed to each other and said, "Thank you for the spar."

Soon the medics were fixing up both of them and got rid of the various bumps and bruises. Samui looked at Naruto and said, "You know, tossing me out of the ring like a ragdoll was rather uncool."

Naruto gave a tiny smile and said, "The traditional Kareel-ifla counter would have been to break your ankle and send you spinning in the horizontal plane. Logically I did not wish to do that. Our objective was a spar, not a death match. You are very good. I had no idea you had that kind of physical strength."

"You are good yourself." said Samui. "Considering I really didn't want a broken ankle I guess everything is cool."

….

The Andorian philosopher Shar leaned over and said to his Trill friend Rafi and said. "That was positively insane. They were unbelievably fast and the sounds of their hits impacting made me cringe."

Rafi rubbed her chin and got a calculating look on her face. "I'm going to have to get those two to show me some moves. I had no idea they were that good. I could hardly keep up."

For her part M'rella was glad that round was over. Such explosive violence didn't appeal to her at all. She found it frightening. ' _As long as they are unhurt; that is the main thing_.' thought the peace loving Caitian girl.

Soon Basic Self Defense Class was over and everyone had showered off. After that the group went to the Mess Hall for lunch.

….

 **Mess Hall**

"Tomorrow Commander Jackson is going to throw us into god knows what in our next starship simulation." said Rafi. "Mark my words; the crazy look in her eye can't be good."

Shar said, "Perhaps she'll take it easy on us considering we just got back from the desert."

"Don't kid yourself." said Samui. "Since our group got back from Iran they've started calling the fast track students _The Think Tank_. Commander Jackson will probably handicap us in some way. Who knows?"

M'rella sat down her fork beside her salad and said, Commander Jackson may be called the _Meat Grinder_ but her grading was very fair. She commended our first mission simulation."

"Fair or not I expect the difficulty to go up on the next simulation." said Naruto.

No one disagreed with that….

….

 **Zero-G Training Center, Phobos, Moon of Planet Mars**

T'Lyra was working on the thruster alignment along of Work Bee Seven with her friend Brea Mathuin. The two of them in their space suites in a zero-g repair hanger. "Here's the problem." said T'Lyra. "The right lockdown on the aft thrusters is fused. Give me a plasma cutter Brea."

Brea handed over the tool and said, "How did you figure that out so fast?"

T'Lyra pointed at the fused lock mechanism and said, "It's melted. We'll cut it in half and then torque the halves loose with a torque wrench."

The two young women soon had the junked halves of the right lock removed and T'Lyra test the left lock that made a grinding noise of metal on metal. "This one is gone too." said T'Lyra. She looked at her tablet and said, "We need a WB-24AL Thruster Lock and a 24AR as well." she highlighted the needed parts and handed the tablet to Brea. "I'll get this left one removed if you can requisition the parts."

Brea took the tablet and said, "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."

A Chief Warrant Officer soon came over and saw the slagged lock floating near T'Lyra and said, "Was this the thruster's problem recruit?"

T'Lyra turned to her superior and said "Yes Chief Casper; that one failed and the left one is 90% gone."

"Let me see." said the Chief. T'Lyra handed half the left thruster lock over to the Casper and he whistled. "This is a goner. Well spotted recruited."

"I suspect that the right one failed some time ago and the left on has been bearing the load for some time." said T'Lyra. "When was Work Bee Seven inspected last?"

Chief Casper spun the worn down part in his hand and said, "Just last week. This should have been caught. I'll look into that."

T'Lyra removed the other half of the left thruster lock and said, "This was out of alignment as well."

' _This girl is good_.' The Chief said, "Once Mathuin gets back I'm going to show you both how to do a full inspection on this Work Bee recruit T'Lyra. We're going to see what else was missed. I have a feeling Work Bee Seven got skipped."

"Understood Chief Casper." said T'Lyra. ' _This Work Bee is a mess. It's going to take some time_.'

….

 **Simulation Hall, Starfleet Academy** **, San Francisco,** **Planet Earth**

" _Ship's Log; Stardate 2271.329. Captain Naruto of the Imperial Klingon Vessel_ _IKV Darkslayer_ _reporting. We are reconnoitering the Klingon/Kzinti Border in the Klingon Theta E 1 System in case any Kzinti vessels are violating the ceasefire_. _Our objective is to destroy and or capture enemy vessels within our territory_." said Naruto into the speaker on his Command throne/chair.

"Shame we have to be Klingons." said Shar from the navigator's position. "Their seating is quite uncomfortable….I'm not too fond of someone constantly looking over my shoulder either." he added as he looked up at Naruto looming over them in his 'throne.'

Samui looked up from the Science station and said, "Shar, I wouldn't be complaining. First of all we have a D7C _command_ cruiser which is quite powerful. Secondly we have Naruto in command and he's the best at Klingon tactics among us. It could be much worse."

Rafi asked, "How did I end up in the Communications position?"

"The same way I ended up at the helm; we drew straws." replied M'rella.

"Eyes on your stations." commanded Naruto. "There are two planets and an asteroid belt to hide in here. A Kzinti ship or ships may be hidden out there….or Federation for all that matter."

"Bingo! Two Kzinti light cruisers in an antipodal orbit around Theta E IB" said Samui.

"Why would they be in antipodal orbits opposite from one another?" asked Rafi. "That makes no sense tactically because they can't support each other with a planet in between them." The Trill girl looked seriously puzzled.

Naruto said, "They are in that formation to maximize their scanning. They are likely to be looking for something –like us." Naruto pivoted his 'throne' to face Samui. "Can you identify the light cruisers Samui?"

Samui focused on her sensor setup and said, "The warp signature of the ship on the north side of the planet is Kzinti Hegemony Ship _KHS Mystic_ and the one to the south is _KHS Warlock_. They don't appear to have seen us."

Shar said, "Shall I put in a course for one of them? If they don't appear to have spotted us…?"

The blonde Vulcan hybrid rubbed his chin and said. "They will see us soon enough. Maintain course and prepare for silent running."

M'rella's amber eyes widened. "They will still spot us at warp speed Naruto. We have to be at sub light speed for silent running to work properly."

"I'm counting on that M'rella." said Naruto. "We'll power back up before they can reach us."

The group was sweating as they plodded along at warp 2 with their active sensors in passive mode.

 _"Warlock_ turned and is headed straight for us at warp factor 5!" said Shar as he turned to Naruto. "They've fired two drones***** which are also moving at warp 5."

"They are at 200,000 km and they've already thrown down the gauntlet." Naruto suddenly _grinned_ much to Shar's shock. "Red Alert; power up the tractor beams. Power up all weapons and shields starting now. Have Marines at ready for transport."

Samui reported, " _Warlock_ is opening fire. At this range they'll be lucky if they do much damage." There was a slight shaking as the green Kzinti Disruptor bolts grazed the front shields of the _Darkslayer_. "Shield damage is minimal at 4%." said Samui.

Shar looked back again at Naruto who said, "Steady as she goes Shar, trust me." He turned to Samui and said, "Has the _Mystic_ reacted yet?"

Samui nodded. "The _Mystic_ is slowly trailing the Warlock at 250,000km at warp factor 4. _Warlock_ will reach us long before _Mystic_ can intervene even at maximum warp."

M'rella said, " _Warlock_ is still closing rapidly; they are at 100,000 km." The crimson color of the Kzinti ship was visible on the view screen by now.

Naruto said to Rafi, "Begin Maximum ECM. Send out a coded SOS to Klingon Imperial command that the D6 heavy cruiser _Havoc_ is requesting help."

Rafi did so with a puzzled look on her face and said, "Our transmission was jammed but….Wait! If the Kzintis think we're a heavy cruiser when we are a much more powerful _command cruiser_ …."

"Exactly." said Naruto. "It's the same hull type. Hopefully they won't figure things out until it's too late." He turned to M'rella. "When the two enemy drones reach 20,000 km lock onto them with our forward tractor beams. Shar; standby on all forward firing weapons. Our alpha strike will be a split salvo, disruptors first, then phasers second."

The crew carefully watched between their stations and the _Warlock_ speeding in for the kill. " _Warlock_ is at 50,000 km and still closing rapidly." said Samui as the light cruiser grew larger and larger on the view screen. "They don't appear to be slowing down at all from their head on course."

' _Fools_.' thought the blonde hybrid. Naruto asked Samui, "How far out is the _Mystic?_ "

Samui's eyes flashed over the scanning screen and she said, "The _Mystic_ is still 150,000km out."

" _Warlock_ is at 40,000km." said M'rella. "The drones are at 20,000 km Naruto."

"Activate the forward tractor beams and capture those drones." said Naruto. "Rafi, drop the defensive ECM to half and begin offensive jamming on the _Warlock_."

"Both drones are captured Naruto." said M'rella.

"Warlock is firing phasers at 30,000 km!" said Samui.

"Hold on everyone." said Naruto. There was a huge shock as the _Darkslayer_ was slammed by every phaser and disruptor the _Warlock_ could bring to bear. Electricity arced as the front shield withered under the blue and green lances of death from the Kzinti light cruiser.

"Forward shield down 73%" reported Samui. " _Warlock_ is at 15,000 km and closing."

"Impatient aren't they?"asked Naruto. Then he said calmly "Shar, you may open fire now."

The _Darkslayer_ suddenly lit up with the power of four green disruptor bolts and a second later; five blue phaser beams. The Kzinti light cruiser's front shield buckled as the disruptors plowed into it and the five phasers cut clean through into the crimson colored hull of the _Warlock_ causing massive damage.

"Lock the aft tractor beam on the _Warlock_." said Naruto. "Drop the forward shield. Beam over the Marines; boarding parties go."

"Transporters active….Boarding parties away!" said Rafi. "Our Marines are aboard the _Warlock_ at vital points."

"Raise forward shield." said Naruto. "Give me an update on the _Mystic_ M'rella."

" _Mystic_ has increased her speed to warp 8; she is at 120,000 km and closing rapidly." said M'rella

Naruto nodded. "Cycle the phasers and turn to port so our shield facing the _Mystic_ is the number two shield. Ready the waist phasers as well."

Rafi said, "Reports are coming in. The auxiliary and emergency stations on the _Warlock_ have been seized. If we can capture engineering and the bridge the _Warlock_ is ours."

"Turn us away from the _Mystic_ and let's tow our prize out of here." said Naruto. "Turn us hard to port; warp factor 3 M'rella."

"The enemy drones have lost their guidance and gone inert." said Samui. "It appears that the _Warlock_ is ours."

Rafi said excitedly, "Our Marines just checked in. The _Warlock_ is captured."

Naruto exhaled and said, "Drop the tractor beams on the drones. Roll a nuclear space mine out of the shuttle bay doors. It should be active and be right in the way of the _Mystic_ when she arrives. Once we've travelled 10,000 km roll out the other one. The Kzinti's have to get the _Warlock_ back or they are facing a diplomatic disaster."

The _Darkslayer_ quickly turned away from the _Mystic_ with the captured _Warlock_ in tow and started slowly accelerating away. They felt the shockwave as the careening _Mystic_ blundered into the first mine and then stumbled into the second. "View screen aft." ordered Naruto.

The _Mystic_ was badly damaged and at all stop. Samui said, "Their facing shield is down Naruto; _Mystic_ is dead in the water. I advise we fire our waist phasers and finish her off…."

Two seconds and two phaser bursts from the _Darkslayer_ later; the _Mystic_ ceased to exist….

….

The lights changed back to normal and "SIMULATION ENDED" came up on the screen. Everyone relaxed a bit as Commander Triela Jackson entered the simulation room. She said in her usual gruff manner, "Cadet Naruto; you are a damn good Klingon."

"Thank you Commander." said Naruto.

As the group of five followed their Commander back into the classroom Triella said, "I'll have your full performance evaluations next time. Come up to the desk for your detailed evaluations of your mission on the _U.S.S._ _Burke_ last time. After that you are dismissed for an early lunch. You earned it."

….

Commander Jackson was soon in the Observation Room with Rear Admiral James T. Kirk who was laughing as he watched the simulator. "Did they live up to your expectations Jim?" she asked with humor in her voice.

"This _Think Tank_ group is _outstanding_." said Kirk with a chuckle. "To think Lieutenant Commander T'Ara's son would be so unorthodox and tricky when she's so by the book. If they are this good on their second combat simulation then I can't wait to see what they're like in a year. Work them hard Triella but other than chain of command discipline I see little problem with their performance." He smiled. "I'm eager to see what they do next. Keep me in the loop on their simulations."

"Will do sir." replied Jackson

….

 **Mess Hall**

Once again the Fourth Year upperclassmen sitting a table over from the _Think Tank_ griping and carrying on about their latest loss….

"I don't believe this!" said a female human Fourth Year. "We were in command in the _Mystic_ and those fucking idiots in the _Warlock_ broke ranks and attacked recklessly. It's no wonder we lost. Even worse they got _captured._ "

Another Fourth Year said, "We were at a huge disadvantage after that but those space mines were just adding insult to injury. I can't believe we got taken out so quickly. I still can't accept the enemy fooled the _Warlock_ into believing it was the D6 _Havoc_ when it was the D7C _Darkslayer_. By the time they realized there mistake they'd already been crippled. _God damn it!_ "

"Just keep your heads low. They are seriously pissed." advised Rafi. Everyone else just nodded in silence.

"Well, well. We meet again pussycat." said Cadet Joseph Kirov to M'rella out of nowhere. He was at the opposite table from the angry Fourth Years.

Samui saw M'rella cringe at the name and said, "M'rella's a Caitian; not a pet cat."

Not missing a beat, Kirov said, "And hello to you gorgeous!"

Samui rolled her eyes and was about to say something in retort but the Fourth Years pounced first. The female human growled, "Kirov, you jackass! You and your team of idiots on the _Warlock_ fucked up everything!"

Kirov smiled weakly and said, "Ummm, honestly Jackie. We really thought it was a D6 heavy cruiser we were facing. Hehe; it was just a simulation."

"Just a simulation?!" shrieked the now named Jackie. She practically had steam coming out of her ears. "It's our grades here! I ought to wring your scrawny neck Third Year!"

"It not a big deal beautiful!" said Kirov in a frightened voice. "No need to pull rank or anything."

"Bastard, your group broke ranks and we could have won!" roared Jackie. "Get them guys!" The Fourth Years charged over the _Think Tank's_ table and began pummeling Kirov and his Third Year compatriots.

"We're out of here! Let the Marines deal with this mess!" said Samui as the _Think Tank_ cleared out of the fighting.

A wild brawl broke out but somehow the fast track Cadets made it out of the Mess Hall unscathed as the Marines moved in to break it up….

….

Shar sat down looking a bit disheveled (He'd crawled out under the tables). "Samui, you and Naruto could have taken them all."

"One must choose one's battles wisely Shar." said Naruto sagely.

Samui sighed. "That and we don't need demerits for fighting. There are enough issues to deal with as it is."

"Good point." said Shar. Rafi and M'rella nodded in agreement….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**The redesigned Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture from 1979. **Not** the 2009 reboot.

***The top warp speeds are confusing as hell in the various series. In TOS the top speed was around Warp 8 but some episodes were in the double digits (which should have torn the ship apart). In The Next Generation the absolute top speed was Warp 10. In Star Fleet Battles (which this fic's mechanics are based on) the top speed is Warp 31 for a standard Federation Heavy Cruiser. Bearing this in mind I'm dividing that by 4 to keep things in line with roughly in line TOS. **_Suffice it to say the top speed is Warp 8 to 9 for this fic's purposes_**.

****Work Bees can be seen working all over on the _Enterprise_ in the first movie.

*****Drones are essentially guided missles. Theoretically they should be fired in waves to overwhelm enemy defenses.

Hopefully this chapter didn't have too much technical jargon. I'm adjusting to the Star Trek style of space battles as opposed to Star Wars which aren't quite as complex mechanically speaking. Anyway, the _Think Tank_ is two for two in the Simulation Room. T'Lyra is busy doing repairs on Phobos and Naruto is busy on Earth avoiding fights. We also got to see some familiar faces from _Star Trek: TOS_ and Naruto's warp theory is being put into actual use. See you next time. Blue out. 4/29/17


	14. Chapter 14

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide** _

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm currently working on my **third** draft of _Darkness Rising's_ next chapter. The first two weren't good enough so hang in there. Aside of that I'm also working on the next chapter of _Curse of the Ryugan_. I seem to be on a roll with this story so I'm going to continue updating it as well.

Hmmm, well it seems that there was a law against Augments joining Starfleet that was in Deep Space Nine (that I never saw). We're just going to say that Samui is an exception or a test case to see if Augments can be integrated into the fleet since rewriting everything over the last several chapters seems like a bad idea at this point. Other than that I'm throwing myself on the mercy of the court as I honestly had no idea about this law. Here is chapter 14. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 _Samui rolled her eyes and was about to say something in retort but the Fourth Years pounced first. The female human growled, "Kirov, you jackass! You and your team of idiots on the_ _Warlock_ _fucked up everything!"_

 _Kirov smiled weakly and said, "Ummm, honestly Jackie. We really thought it was a D6 heavy cruiser we were facing. Hehe; it was just a simulation."_

 _"Just a simulation?!" shrieked the now named Jackie. She practically had steam coming out of her ears. "It's our grades here! I ought to wring your scrawny neck Third Year!"_

 _"It not a big deal beautiful!" said Kirov in a frightened voice. "No need to pull rank or anything."_

 _"Bastard, your group broke ranks and we could have won!" roared Jackie. "Get them guys!" The Fourth Years charged over the Think Tank's table and began pummeling Kirov and his Third Year compatriots._

 _"We're out of here! Let the Marines deal with this mess!" said Samui as the Think Tank cleared out of the fighting._

 _A wild brawl broke out but somehow the fast track Cadets made it out of the Mess Hall unscathed as the Marines moved in to break it up…._

 _…._

 _Shar sat down looking a bit disheveled (He'd crawled out under the tables). "Samui, you and Naruto could have taken them all."_

 _"One must choose one's battles wisely Shar." said Naruto sagely._

 _Samui sighed. "That and we don't need demerits for fighting. There are enough issues to deal with as it is."_

 _"Good point." said Shar. Rafi and M'rella nodded in agreement_ ….

….

Chapter 14

 **Stardate 2271.330** **,** **Zero-G Training Center, Phobos, Moon of Planet Mars**

T'Lyra was floating in the Zero-G 'Cantina/Mess hall' with the other off duty recruits. She was tired but felt good about herself. Chief Casper had walked her and Brea through inspecting the dismal Work Bee Seven and then the two recruits did Work Bee Twelve on their own with Casper simply observing. Seven was currently down for repairs but Twelve only required some quick maintenance and it was ready to go. ' _I guess we'll spend the day working on Work Bee Seven tomorrow_.' thought T'Lyra.

Off duty one was allowed to imbibe so Brea Mathuin was drinking her fill of rotgut Martian brewed beer. (T'Lyra couldn't stand the stuff). "You know, this place could sure use some music." said Brea. "It's too quiet except for the talking. What do you think T'Lyra?"

"I have my ka'athyra in its case." said T'Lyra. "I haven't had time to practice recently though."

Brea looked a bit confused and said, "What the hell is a ka'athyra?"

"It's what you humans call a Vulcan lyrette or lute." explained the brunette.

"Ohhhh! Okay, I've seen those played on programs." said the Irish girl. "Do you know any Irish folk music?"

T'Lyra had a very flat look that said, ' _Are you serious?_ ' Then the Vulcan beauty said, "I'm afraid not. I know many traditional Vulcan songs though. Would you like to hear?"

….

T'Lyra soon had the group rather shocked with her classical Golic Vulcan songs that were actually folk tales said to music. Her higher pitched, operatic voice washed over the cantina in powerful waves that astounded the group there.

"She's incredible!" whispered Brea to another. The young Vulcan woman entertained them all evening. She finished with the only song she knew from Terra called "Mars Bonfire" from the 22nd Century which elicited a great deal of applause.**

….

 **Starfleet Academy** **, San Francisco,** **Planet Earth, Dorm F, Room 125-F**

M'rella was looking at her one piece blue and white swimsuit that had been issued to her by Starfleet. The style didn't bother her but there was one glaring issue: There was no hole for her tail! The young Caitian woman's ears drooped slightly and her amber eyes narrowed.

Naruto had learned to read M'rella's moods fairly well since they started rooming together. He noticed her tail was stiff and kinked in irritation. "What is wrong M'rella?" asked the blonde hybrid. "You look perturbed."

"We are supposed to start swimming survival training courses tomorrow and my swimsuit is cut for a human." explained the Caitian girl. "There is no place for my tail and it will be most uncomfortable."

Naruto sighed softly and said, "You're just checking your swimsuit for the first time M'rella?" She nodded. "Let's go down to requisitions and get a proper swimsuit for you then."

M'rella smiled and her ears perked up. Her tail took its usual relaxed posture. "Thank you for coming with me Naruto. The people in requisitions aren't very kind."

The two roommates went across the campus to get a swimsuit for M'rella and she was purring softly in happiness that she didn't have to go by herself. Her purring abruptly stopped when she saw the line leading to the requisitions building.

"It seems this will take some time." said Naruto. "I never realized they are always this busy. I was under the impression they were only this crowded during enrollment periods."

….

One hour later the pair was finally at the front of the line where two disgruntled clerks were manning the counter. M'rella held up her current swimsuit and said, "I was issued a swimsuit for a human and I need one for a Caitian. I wish to exchange this please."

"Let me see the human suit." said the clerk. He quickly scanned the stock code on it and said, "Cadet M'rella?" she nodded and he said. "ID please." M'rella held up her cadet identification card and he nodded. The clerk looked her over with a very appraising eye and said lecherously, "I guess these measurements from your old suit are correct then eh?"

M'rella replied in a flat tone, "My measurements are correct sir."

The clerk smiled and said, "I'll see what we've got for all those curves Cadet." A few minutes later he came back with an identical suit with the back cut down further for a Caitian.

She quickly inspected the suit and said to the clerk, "Thank you, this will be fine sir."

"Come back soon sweetheart." said the clerk as he gazed at the sway in M'rella's hips as she walked away. If the Caitian girl noticed she paid no attention to the man.

M'rella said happily, "Let's go back to the dorm and I'll try on this new swimsuit."

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F**

Naruto was doing his best to focus on his tablet as M'rella changed into her swimsuit _right in front of him_. The blonde thought to himself; ' _You'd think I would be desensitized by now given she sleeps naked. I wonder if all Caitians are such exhibitionists_.' He heard her giggle as she looked into the mirror at different angles.

"What do you think Naruto?" asked the Caitian beauty. "Does it look okay on me?"

Naruto looked up and saw her in her sleek swimsuit. He did his best not to stare. "It fits you quite well M'rella."

She smiled and gave him a generous view of her cleavage. "Hmmm….I'm glad you like it." she purred.

There was a knocking on the door and M'rella said, "I'll get it!" and darted over to the door with her dainty feet not making a sound.

It was Rafi and Samui at the door and they were quickly invited in by M'rella. Rafi grinned and said, "Do you always run around in your swimsuit M'rella?"

The Caitian girl chuckled and said, "I had to make sure it fit. We're starting our swimming survival training tomorrow you know. It turned out I had a human suit so I had to get one designed for a Caitian."

Samui looked around the dorm room and noticed Naruto wasn't in sight. "Is Naruto here?" asked the blonde Augment.

"He's doing his homework on his bed as usual." said M'rella. "Come in and sit."

"Hi Naruto!" called Rafi into the bedroom.

Naruto came out deciding he probably wouldn't get much homework done anyway. "Hello Rafi; Samui. Tea?"

"I wouldn't mind some rum if you've got any." said the Trill.

"I'm afraid that Vulcan Tea and Caitian fruit drinks are all we have available Rafi -except for what's available through the food replicator." said Naruto.

M'rella handed Rafi a sweet fruit drink and offered one to Samui. "I think I'd prefer tea, thank you." said Samui.

"I'll brew some." said Naruto as he got out an ornate Vulcan tea set.

Samui was looking about and saw the beautiful art decorating the walls. They were mainly landscape with the looks of rain forests and jungles. The room was accented with tropical flowers as well. "Your room is quite nicely decorated." said the Augment girl impressed. "Everything here has a rain forest theme."

"Hmmm….I'm glad you like it." purred M'rella happily. "Everything here reminds me of my home on Cait. I've encouraged Naruto to decorate but he has chosen very little to liven up the place. He only has one painting up above his bed but it leaves quite an impression."

As Naruto sat down at the table to brew some tea, M'rella took their two guests into the neat and clean bedroom where they saw a picture of some sort of explosive dust/lightning storm. The painting seemed to hold so much uncontained, raw power that it was jarring to the viewer.

"Whoa! What is this?" asked the Trill. Everything in your quarters is so calm and soothing but this…."

"I've offered to take it down but it is special to me." said Naruto. "You are looking at a painting of a sandfire storm over the desert in Vulcan's Forge."

Samui said, "It looks like the lightning could leap off the painting. It has so much explosive energy. I can't really describe it."

"My cousin Zerin painted it." explained the hybrid. "It's called _The Maelstrom_ and this is how she sees me."

"She sees you as a violent sandstorm?" asked Rafi. "That seems odd."

"Zerin is a very good artist for all of her idiosyncrasies." explained Naruto. "She told me this was what she envisioned when we first met years ago."

"I think it's a very moving piece." said the Caitian girl kindly. "Somehow I can see Naruto like this from seeing him spar with you Samui."

Samui looked at the painting and thought of her recent spar with Naruto. "Cool; I could see that."

….

The four were sitting down discussing their recent simulation. "We do well in the actual simulation but we need to follow ranks and titles according to Commander Jackson." said Samui. "We should either use or ranks or titles specific to our positions at the time."

Rafi was looking over her critique and said, "Yeah, our command structure and discipline need to shape up from what she says. I guess the easiest thing to do would be to use titles like helm and navigator since it's basically roulette as to where we end up." The Trill added, "It would get confusing if we used our rank because we're all cadets."

"We ought to get Shar's input as well." said M'rella. "He is part of our team too."

"That seems logical." agreed Naruto. "What dorm room is he in? We should invite him."

"He's in room 140-F." replied Samui. "One of us should fetch him if he's available." The beautiful blonde said while looking pointedly at Rafi.

Rafi stared back challengingly at Samui and said, "Yes, _one_ of us should."

"I'll go fetch him." said Naruto.

….

 **Room 140-F**

Shar was talking with his human roommate Cadet Shelly Wilson of Earth. She was also a fast track student and was a Medical Doctor. They were having a discussion about the philosophy behind the Hippocratic Oath when Naruto knocked. Shelly got the door and the pretty auburn haired Cadet blushed when she saw Naruto standing there. "Um, hello Cadet Naruto."

"Good evening Cadet Wilson." said Naruto formally. "I hope I'm not interrupting your evening."

She smiled and said, "You're not interrupting anything at all. Shar and I were just discussing a bit of philosophy. Please come in."

The Vulcan hybrid followed Shelly in and saw the Andorian reclined back in a lounge chair. Shar was surprised to see Naruto. "Naruto, it's good to see you." said the blue skinned Cadet. "What brings you by?"

"Our group was discussing the most recent simulation we were in and we agreed that your input would be helpful for all parties concerned." said Naruto. "Would you be available to join us?"

"May I join you as well?" asked Wilson hopefully. "My team of five exclusively deals with medicine and life sciences so we don't do the bridge simulations your group does."

Shar said, "You might find it a bit boring Shelly."

The medic deflated a bit but perked up when Naruto said, "There is no reason you can't attend if you wish Wilson."

"Just call me Shelly, Naruto. I'll get my boots." she said with a smile.

….

 **Starfleet Headquarters, Starship Bureau of Design and Repair,** **San Francisco, Rear** **Admiral Tolm's Office**

Rear Admiral Lucian Tolm was having a meeting with Commander Montgomery Scott about the latest innovation in warp drive mechanics – _The Curved Transitional Warp Field Theorem_. "Commander Scott, after reviewing the Curved Warp Field, the board has unanimously agreed that it should be incorporated into the _Enterprise_ refit. I'm astonished that you found such a talent in a mere Cadet, Commander."

"It was pure luck sir." said Scotty. "When I met Naruto years ago he was just a boy but his theory was so fantastic. I stayed in touch with him while he got his doctorate and encouraged him now and then but that was it. He developed it from the ground up."

The Admiral sat back and pondered for a few moments before he said, "How good do you think Doctor Naruto would be at designing new warp configurations and new ship designs Mister Scott?"

Scotty leaned forward and said, "Challenge him to it. His degree is in Astrodynamics and Astrophysics. He's fully versed in warp architecture and starship design. The lad is practically a ball of untapped potential."

Tolm nodded and said, "I want to meet this boy."

….

 **Room 125-F**

"How's it going Shelly?" asked Rafi. The Trill was a bit curious about the medic's presence. "You usually have your nose stuck in a medical text of some sort or other."

Shelly smiled and said, "I decided to sit in and see what the command team does. I might decide that the captain's chair is preferable to sick bay."

The group was soon sitting and discussing their grades. Shar grumbled, "I was marked down for 'indecisiveness' and 'not obeying a superior.'

"It must have been when you looked back at me and wondered about my orders." said Naruto. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"Maybe…." said the Andorian. "That reminds me, did you actually _smile_ when the Kzintis attacked us?"

"Have you ever seen me smile?" asked Naruto.

Shar frowned in thought and said, "No I haven't now that you mention it."

"Would you smile in the face of an enemy attack?" questioned the blonde hybrid.

"No; of course not." said the Andorian. "I guess it was a trick of the light."

' _I love mind games_.' thought Naruto laughing inside.

The group turned in early given their underwater training started tomorrow….

….

 **Stardate 2271.331** **,** **Underwater Training Center, Kwajalein Atoll, Planet Earth**

"Welcome to Kwajalien Atoll Base Cadets." said a tall blonde haired woman in her thirties. "I'm Lieutenant Valerie Pushkin and I will be instructing you along with the staff here on swimming and underwater survival. You'll also be trained on basic underwater navigation so you won't get lost. Vehicles such as submersible rovers, full submarines and surface craft are for a later, more advanced course if you desire to take them. That is your option later. Your job during this week is to fill your minds and bodies with the knowledge to survive in a water or underwater environment."

Pushkin added, "There is only one other thing I will say; I know most of you a geniuses of some sort or other. I don't give a damn. You are Starfleet Cadets and I will train you as such. Obey your teachers and trainers to the letter and we'll all get along nicely. I you don't….You and your classmates will be severely punished. That is all."

A Chief Petty Officer said, "Alright Cadets; file into your temporary quarters and change into your swimming gear. Report back here after you do. You have twenty minutes, GO!"

"I can already tell this is going to be a week in paradise." said Samui to the others as they trotted over to the large hall where the bunks were four to a unit. Samui said, "M'rella, Shelly; bunk with Rafi and I."

Naruto was with Shar when two other male fast track Cadets joined them. One was a human with freckles and red hair. "I guess we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Doctor Gregory Hammond with the medical group. Nice to meet you. He shook hands with Shar and Naruto. "This is my friend Kloene from the engineering group." Hampton said as he motioned towards a beefy green skinned Orion male. His hair was black and in a topknot.

Everybody in the foursome introduced themselves and quickly changed into their blue and white standard issue swimming suits. "Can't wait to see the girls dressed out." said Kloene. "All that eye candy will make this training worthwhile –especially Leatta."

Naruto didn't really know Leatta but she was a very attractive and flirtatious Orion girl with classically green skin and long black hair. She already had a reputation as a man-eater. Shar shook his snowy head and said, "The girls I like but this heat and humidity are going to be taxing on my physiology."

As they trotted out to the beach they broke into a run realizing their twenty minutes were nearly up. As it turned out, two of the Cadets were late so they all ended up doing five hundred pushups each….

….

After that the group was taught the basics of swimming by Petty Officers throwing them off of a dock into the water to make sure they didn't sink. For his part Naruto could swim okay but had to fight back the urge to water walk back over to the dock and grab a particularly sadistic petty officer that was being rough on Rafi who couldn't swim well. Samui seemed fine and M'rella was a very good swimmer so that left Shar who seemed okay even though he was complaining constantly about the ' _barbarism of it all_.'

 **Day Two**

Naruto found that Shar, Kloene and Gregory Hammond were all pretty good swimmers but their Petty Officer Davis in charge of them apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed _Every. Single. Morning_.

At mess the four males were so tired that even looking at the girls took effort. They all wanted to sleep but needed their energy. "If I ever complain about the food at the Academy again you have formal permission to slap me Naruto. It's gourmet dining compared to this fare."

"Kelp is actually very good for its nutritional value." offered Gregory in an attempt at being upbeat about it. Then he hung his head and said, "It does taste rather bad the way it's been prepared though. I'm so fucking tired…."

The blonde hybrid wolfed down his food and said, "After we eat I plan to do some homework and rest."

"I'm skipping the homework and going straight to bed." said Shar in an exhausted tone.

"I'm with the Andorian." said Kloene tiredly. "I'm so tired that I can't even chase women. My family would be ashamed of me."

….

 **Day Four**

M'rella surfaced from her dive and said to Naruto, "Diving in these beautiful waters is so much fun! It's hard to believe that Bikini Atoll was once used for Nuclear testing."

Naruto nodded. M'rella seemed overjoyed here in the tropics. He said, "The Earth is fortunate that they never had a nuclear war like Vulcan did."

The Caitian girl's ears drooped but then perked back up. "But the people of Vulcan learned and adapted. Many races would not have survived what yours did."

"Hey there cutie." said Kloene to M'rella. "How's my favorite Caitian girl?"

M'rella smiled and said, "Let me guess; you struck out with Leatta again."

Kloene slumped his shoulders. "Is it that obvious?"

Naruto said, "It is my Orion friend." M'rella broke out into melodious laughter before she stuck her oxygen rebreather in her mouth and dived again.

The Orion male said, "I never knew how sexy alien girls were till I joined Starfleet. There are so many to look at that my head gets dizzy sometimes."

The blonde hybrid said, "Beauty comes in many forms Kloene." ' _It's a shame T'Lyra isn't here. I would love to see here in a snug swimsuit_.'

Kloene chuckled, "It seems funny hearing that from a Vulcan. I guess under all that logic Vulcan guys aren't that different from other guys."

Naruto raised a blonde eyebrow and said, "We are all humanoids; it is genetic and can't be helped."

….

 **Day Six**

The Cadets were all going through an underwater maze to test their navigational skills. Most made it without exceeding the thirty minute mark but some had to retake the test. M'rella made it through the fastest in twelve minutes. The rest of _The Think Tank_ Command Team all made it through on their first try (Rafi _barely_ made it in twenty nine minutes).

"A pass is a pass." said the exhausted Trill. "I guess I need to practice more." ' _I'll take space over water anytime. Navigating by sight is difficult with the water refracting your vision_.'

 **Day Seven**

Everyone was assembled in their regular Cadet Uniforms on the landing pad. "You've all passed the physical and mental requirements of basic underwater survival and navigation." said Lieutenant Pushkin. "Many of you need to continue your exercises to build up your endurance but you did well generally. Consider the basic course passed. Next time you are out here I expect to see you all performing better as swimmers. Fall out and board your shuttles."

Thirty minutes later the twenty students were split between two troop transport shuttles with the belongings and head back to the main campus in San Francisco….

….

 **Starfleet Academy** **, San Francisco, Dorm F, Room 125-F**

 _Personal Log: Stardate 2271.337. M'rella and I have thankfully returned to our quarters. I found the swimming exercises to be beneficial but the sheer amount of them in the last week was taxing. I am not exhausted or physically sore like most of the others but that is due to my unique metabolism. Upon my return I found that T'Lyra is still off planet and I have orders to report to Starfleet Headquarters to meet with an Admiral Lucius Tolm who I am unfamiliar with. My research indicates he is a Rear Admiral in charge of Starfleet Command's Starship Bureau of Design and Repair. He holds a Masters degree in Astrodynamcs and has been in the Bureau on the Repair and Construction side for twenty years._

 _The only logical reason he would want to see me is my warp theorem so I will have to be prepared_ ….

….

 **Stardate 2271.339** **,** **Zero-G Training Center, Phobos, Moon of Planet Mars**

T'Lyra was working under the watchful eye of Chief Warrant Officer Casper as she completed the repairs on the last Work Bee with Brea following her lead. "It's finished sir." said T'Lyra. "Work Bee Nineteen has been given a complete inspection and overhaul."

Casper typed in a few things on his tablet and said, "Very nicely done. You have passed all the requirements recruit. Not only is your operator's license approved but also you are now fully qualified to inspect and maintain Work Bees."

"I wasn't aware I was being tested." said T'Lyra.

The Chief chucked and said, "You picked up on this so well that I decided to give you the test for practice. You passed with flying colors. Normally you don't do this training until you are at least an Engineer's Mate so you are way ahead of the game recruit T'Lyra."

"Way to go T'Lyra!" said Brea happily. ' _Glad he didn't test me. I'd have flunked out_.'

"Thank you sir!" responded the Vulcan girl. "I hope to continue to do well."

"I think you're going places recruit." said Casper with a grin. "You've both worked hard today. Go grab some chow."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Simulation Hall**

 _The Think Tank_ exited the simulator. They had been back on the frigate _U.S.S. Burke_ and supported other ships in a Federation vs. Klingon fleet action scenario. Rafi had been in command and they distinguished themselves by destroying a Klingon frigate and chasing off another without taking much damage in return. Considering the fact that Klingon F5 frigates were _better_ than Federation frigates it was no mean feat. Their 'Admiral' was the Fourth year Jackie Nodaway who praised them highly for keeping the Klingons at bay while she used her dreadnought to wreck the enemy's command ship (incidentally captained by Joseph Kirov and his group of Third Years).

It had been a decisive victory for 'Admiral' Jackie Nodaway's Fleet….

Commander Triela Jackson was soon talking to her cadets. "You did much better this time maintaining your chain of command." she said gruffly as usual. "That was some good work detecting those transporter mines before they wrecked your ship. I think this group might have potential after all."

….

"Nice job on the science station Naruto." said Rafi. Samui, you were great the way you side slipped the mines after Naruto detected them. As your Captain I'm treating you all to a huge feast….in the Mess Hall!"

"Your generosity knows no bounds." said Samui to her roommate in a flat tone.

"You may praise me more!" exclaimed the Trill.

"Being at navigation is kind of fun." said M'rella happily. "Except for firing weapons; I don't like that part."

"Communications was crazy with all those ships involved." said Shar. "It was difficult to know what to pipe through."

"Better to learn in a simulation than in actually battle." said Naruto.

Rafi laughed. "No need to be so serious guys. Let's go eat."

Hopefully those Fourth Years won't attack anybody today." said Shar dourly.

….

 _Five days later_ ….

 **Stardate 2271.344** **,** **Starfleet Headquarters, Starship Bureau of Design and Repair**

Naruto walked into a large staff meeting room where Rear Admiral Tolm was sitting with a couple of others. Tolm was a long time Staff Officer in his seventies with a thick gray mop of hair and looked very laid back. To his right was a very studious looking man of Asian descent with full captain's insignia on his lapels. He looked to be in his fifties. Lastly was another full Captain of Vulcan heritage. She was studying Naruto with extreme scrutiny in her dark eyes. Her brown hair was in a conservative bun.

Tolm motioned Naruto in and said, "Welcome Doctor Naruto; please come in and join us. This is Captain Hiro Suzuki who is our head of Starship Design and Captain Vach who is our head of Astrodynamics and warp theory."

Naruto came up and gave the traditional Vulcan salute and said, "I come to serve."

Rear Admiral Tolm and Captain Suzuki both looked a bit confused by this greeting but Vach nodded slightly to herself and returned his salute. "Your service honors us. Please be seated."

Naruto bowed and took his seat opposite of the Admiral who smiled slightly to put Naruto at ease. He pushed a touch screen and the Enterprise with Naruto's Curved Warp Field appeared in a holographic projection. Tolm simply said, "Doctor Naruto, I think you'll be happy to know that your Curved Warp Field has been fully approved for the new refit of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. Our staff has been very excited to meet you since this breakthrough."

Captain Suzuki said, "To find someone as young as yourself possessing such advanced talent is rare indeed. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Vach said with hard eyes, "So you are the second hybrid after Spock."

Naruto nodded and met her stare head on. "Commander Spock is a friend of mine."

….

Naruto and the three officers discussed Naruto's warp design theorem in detail until all parties seemed satisfied. Admiral Tolm said, "Doctor Naruto, I have a challenge for you. During your next three semesters you have the option of independent study credits. I want you to design a basic ship for me as an outside consultant. Are you up to the task?"

"What kind of ship?" asked Naruto.

The Admiral grinned. "Your tentative design proposal would be to replace the older Light Cruisers of the NCC-900 Texas Class which as you no doubt know were originally sub-light ships. I have the general specifications the fleet is using but I want you to only be limited by your imagination. Many designs are being submitted and we want to combine the best features of those designs. The only requirement I'm giving you is to make the design flexible so it could be converted into a scout or a minesweeper for instance."

"I will give it my best sir." replied the blonde hybrid. "I was planning on doing an engineering project for independent study regardless so this works out well."

"Excellent Doctor; we look forward to the fruits of your labor. Captain Suzuki will be your contact here at headquarters for questions and guidance." Then the Admiral added, "By the way, your first payment for the licensed use of your warp theory is being deposited as we speak. You are going to be a very wealthy young man Doctor Naruto."

Vach said, "I will be available to discuss things with you as well Doctor Naruto. I am as interested as Suzuki in your progress."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "I will submit my reports to both parties then."

"Excellent Doctor Naruto. You are dismissed." said Admiral Tolm

The blonde hybrid bowed and excused himself.

….

 _Now Naruto had a mission_ ….

….

After Naruto left Rear Admiral Tolm asked, "What is your opinion Vach? You voiced plenty of doubts before this meeting.

"He looks just like his Mother." said Vach. "He's a very handsome young man."

Tolm and Suzuki face faulted. The Rear Admiral coughed and said, "I meant his capabilities as a ship designer and warp engineer."

Vach said, "He answered all of my questions in a quick and direct manner. My doubts about him are dispelled."

"I personally can't wait to see his paper project." said Suzuki. "It's always good to have fresh blood although I'm sure his ship will be unrealistic compared to Starfleet's needs. We need a design that can rapidly be mass produced for the war which is no doubt coming. I picture his design as being complex and probably difficult to build just from his personality."

"Who knows?" said the Admiral. "Regardless it should be interesting."

 **Starfleet Academy**

Naruto got back in time for lunch and his afternoon classes. Meeting up with several high ranking officers had been taxing on the blonde hybrid. He wanted a bit of normalcy and more importantly he wanted to see his mate. ' _The message she sent indicated she should be back on Earth by now. I hope all goes well and we can see each other soon. It's been a month since we even spoke via transmission_.'

….

T'Lyra and her friend Brea Mathuin were touring the Starfleet Academy Campus when the young Vulcan woman's sharp eyes saw her mate conversing with his fellow members of _The Think Tank_. T'Lyra hid a tiny smile and thought, ' _There is that spiky blonde hair I know and love_.' She walked directly towards her mate and called his name out, "Naruto M'Fau!"

Naruto whipped around and saw T'Lyra standing there in gray urban camouflage combat fatigues and a snug black tank top that showed off all her generous curves. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight braid. The young couple quickly moved to each other and touched their middle and index fingers together affectionately. Both of them basked in each other's presence for a moment before they spoke. "I've missed you my mate."*** said Naruto.

"I've longed to see you as well." said T'Lyra as the couple gently touched their foreheads together.

Rafi looked a bit shocked as she watched the young Vulcan couple. "What happened to the Vulcan salute? This is way over the top."

M'rella said disappointedly, "I believe that's Naruto's mate. He keeps a hologram of her by his bed." Her ears drooped a bit.

"I had no idea." said Shar.

The Trill said, "She's beautiful."

Samui felt a twinge of jealousy and then said, "Let's introduce ourselves to her."

Brea was standing to the side feeling rather awkward. ' _My always logical friend practically leapt at that guy. I assume he is her boyfriend. I'll never figure out Vulcans_.' "Umm, hey T'Lyra; who is your friend?"

T'Lyra turned to Brea and said, "This is my mate Naruto. We are betrothed."

Brea's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "I….I had no idea."

Samui and the rest of _The Think Tank_ came over to introduce themselves and T'Lyra and Naruto quietly held hands as everyone else talked.

 _For right now just being together was enough_ ….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**You can thank your author for just borrowing a song title. My original idea was _2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx_ by _Rush_. The idea of T'Lyra jamming like a female Getty Lee and blowing them all away completely cracked me up.

***Okay Trekkies, I need some help. At some point or other I read Vulcan males (and possibly females) are _incapable_ of mating before their first Pon Farr. After that it's anytime. Can anyone prove/disprove this? T'Lyra and Naruto are deeply in love and would have consummated their relationship a long time ago if it weren't for this being in question. Thanks!

This chapter went pretty smoothly and our favorite Vulcan couple are together again for a little while. Naruto has a ship (some sort of light cruiser) to design and has received his first paycheck already. T'Lyra has impressed her superiors enough to receive some advanced training so the future looks bright for both of them. _The Think Tank_ survived underwater survival well and didn't have to invent a new form of underwater apparatus in the process. And last but not least there were no brawls in the Mess Hall this chapter. See you next time. Blue out. 5/5/17


	15. Chapter 15

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'd like to thank **blood enraged** and **Joe Lawyer** for their input on this chapter. Thanks guys! Here is chapter 15. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 _T'Lyra and her friend Brea Mathuin were touring the Starfleet Academy Campus when the young Vulcan woman's sharp eyes saw her mate conversing with his fellow members of_ _The Think Tank_ _. T'Lyra hid a tiny smile and thought, '_ _There is that spiky blonde hair I know and love_ _.' She walked directly towards her mate and called his name out, "Naruto M'Fau!"_

 _Naruto whipped around and saw T'Lyra standing there in gray urban camouflage combat fatigues and a snug black tank top that showed off all her generous curves. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight braid. The young couple quickly moved to each other and touched their middle and index fingers together affectionately. Both of them basked in each other's presence for a moment before they spoke. "I've missed you my mate." said Naruto._

 _"I've longed to see you as well." said T'Lyra as the couple gently touched their foreheads together._

 _Rafi looked a bit shocked as she watched the young Vulcan couple. "What happened to the Vulcan salute? This is way over the top."_

 _M'rella said disappointedly, "I believe that's Naruto's mate. He keeps a hologram of her by his bed." Her ears drooped a bit._

 _"I had no idea." said Shar._

 _The Trill said, "She's beautiful."_

 _Samui felt a twinge of jealousy and then said, "Let's introduce ourselves to her."_

 _Brea was standing to the side feeling rather awkward. '_ _My always logical friend practically leapt at that guy. I assume he is her boyfriend. I'll never figure out Vulcans_ _.' "Umm, hey T'Lyra; who is your friend?"_

 _T'Lyra turned to Brea and said, "This is my mate Naruto. We are betrothed."_

 _Brea's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "I….I had no idea."_

 _Samui and the rest of_ _The Think Tank_ _came over to introduce themselves and T'Lyra and Naruto quietly held hands as everyone else talked._

 _For right now just being together was enough…._

 _…._

Chapter 15

 **Stardate 2271.344 Prometheus XII System**

 _Ship's Log: Stardate 2271.344. Captain Trent Aldridge commanding_ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _. We were assigned to the Prometheus XII System because as a Galactic Survey Cruiser we have some of the best lab systems in Starfleet. Prometheus XII D was logged earlier this month as a Class M Planet that possibly could serve as a future colony. The Light Survey Cruiser_ _NCC-962 U.S.S. Viking_ _took long distance scans of this world on her return from her last mission. Unusually enough; the world seems to be teaming with abundant plant life with little or no animal life. This is a matter of great scientific curiosity as a planet evolving this way would be very unique and our biologists are very eager to set to work…._

At the Security Station stood the twenty three year old Lieutenant Junior Grade Shizuka Nadeshiko, an Earth raised Vulcan.** As acting Security Chief she was at her bridge station. Her green eyes scanned the tactical screen in the system and she found no signs of any other vessels save the _Darwin_. "We are clear of hostiles sir. Even the special sensors show no signs of any ships being here anytime recently."

"Excellent Chief Nadeshiko." said Captain Aldridge. "Helm; set us in a standard orbit, nice and smooth. Science Officer Francesco; tell our people down in the labs that the port sensors are all theirs. Something tells me there is something big on this world."

Shizuka had a mental chuckle. ' _Captain Aldridge has the heart of an adventurer. He's like a little kid whenever we find a new world to map and explore_.'

Aldridge clapped his hands together. "You know the drill people. We'll be mapping for two hours to see if there are any signs of intelligent life before we send down an away team….probably our botany specialists."

A chorus of "Aye; aye sir!" spread throughout the bridge.

Once again the _Darwin's_ outstanding crew was moving like a well oiled machine….

….

 **ShiKhar City, Planet Vulcan, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

T'Ara was in her everyday Vulcan brown robes fixing dinner with Talok when a call came in from Starfleet. Turning the dinner duties over to her nine going on ten year old daughter; the black haired beauty went to private screen and went through the security checks to receive the call. Captain Vach's rather stern visage appeared on the screen much to T'Ara's surprise. "Greetings Captain Vach." said T'Ara to her superior officer as she gave the Vulcan salute.

Vach returned the salute and said, "T'Ara; I'm calling you as your Aunt; not your superior officer in Starfleet."

T'Ara raised an eyebrow and said, "You are using a Starfleet frequency for a personal call?"

The older woman said, "It's connected to Starfleet in a way….I met Naruto today. He looks just like you."

"Did you now…?" asked T'Ara. "Why would a full Captain from Starfleet's Bureau of Design and Repair want to meet with a simple Cadet?"

Vach had humor in her eyes. "He acts just like you and your Father T'Ara. He even raises his eyebrow the same way. I had my hesitations about him at first but then I realized how much he reminded me of my late twin brother and found myself enjoying the conversation. You must be proud of him."

"Did you inform Naruto you are his Great Aunt?" asked the younger Vulcan woman.

The Captain frowned, "Of course I didn't. It was a formal meeting in the presence my immediate superior. Besides, I wasn't sure what to make of him at first."

"You always were so personable." said T'Ara sardonically. "So why _did_ you meet with my son?"

"We met with him because of a certain warp theorem he came up with." said Vach. "Perhaps you've heard of it?"

"If you are referring to the _Curved Transitional Warp Field Theorem_ my son recently patented then of course I know about it." said T'Ara.

"Starfleet is interested in it." said Vach with a bit of pride in her voice. "Your Father would have been thrilled if he was here today."

T'Ara took a rather aggressive tone and asked, " _How_ interested is Starfleet?"

The older woman's eyes seemed to twinkle. "About _two hundred fifty million credits_ in advance alone." ( _T'Ara gasped_ ) "It took hours to hammer out an agreement. Your son is a hard negotiator. I can't give you the specifics on the contract as it is confidential but suffice it to say your son will probably be able to buy a moon or something once the contract is fulfilled."

' _By the gods_ ….' thought T'Ara. "Aunt Vach, are you intending to tell him you are his Great Aunt?"

"All in due time niece of mine." said Vach. "I have to tell you this is big T'Ara. I understand that you want to know more details but as a fellow Starfleet Officer I have to keep things classified. Just know that Naruto is an exceptional young man. I personally am looking forward to knowing him better. I have to go. Live long and prosper T'Ara."

"Live long and prosper Aunt Vach." Replied the onyx eyed beauty.

….

Talok saw her Mother come back in the kitchen and asked with a raised eyebrow, "What has my big brother done this time Mama?"

T'Ara gave a tiny smile and said, "Naruto has simply outdone himself again."

The young girl shook her head. "He always has been an overachiever."

"That he has." agreed T'Ara. "So are you."

Talok gave a matching smile in return and the two soon got back to finishing up dinner….

….

 **Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

T'Lyra and her friend Brea were touring the campus a bit until Naruto finished his afternoon classes. They'd already seen the Museum of Starfleet History and the Arts Center and decided to stop and have a late lunch at one of the many restaurants on campus. T"Lyra pulled out her tablet to check her finances before they ate at a place that was too expensive. The brunette beauty saw Naruto's monthly paycheck, her monthly paycheck and….

08:00 -Deposit [Starfleet Payroll]: Naruto M'Fau: 5,000 credits

08:15 -Deposit [Starfleet Payroll]: T'Lyra Tolaris: 2,500 credits

11:30 -Deposit [Starfleet Command]: Naruto M'Fau: 250,000,000 credits

Her brown eyes were big as saucers and her jaw dropped. "W-w-what?!" ' _Naruto M'Fau! What have you been up to?!_ ' she screeched telepathically.

….

Naruto was taking notes in class when he winced from T'Lyra's telepathic call from across the campus. ' _What do you mean T'Lyra?_ '

' _There are_ _ **250 million credits**_ _deposited in our credit account as of 11:30 this morning!_ ' thought T'Lyra to her mate. ' _How the_ _ **hell**_ _did it get there?_ '

Naruto sounded a bit embarrassed and said telepathically, ' _I'm in class T'Lyra. I promise I'll explain it all to you this evening!_ '

' _I'll be looking forward to hearing your explanation Naruto_.' thought T'Lyra as she ended their 'conversation.' ' _Only my mate could make us multimillionaires and forget to mention it_ ….' thought the brunette beauty noplussed.

' _Oh boy_ ….' thought the blonde hybrid….

….

Later….

Naruto asked, "You know that warp theorem that I've been working on for years?"

"Of course I do." replied T'Lyra. "It was your doctoral thesis after all."

"Well, I got it patented you see….and Starfleet wanted a contract to use it." explained the blonde hybrid. "So I signed a contract with them to use it under license. The 250 million is the first half of the down payment and the second half will be paid when the first ship is complete. After that I will be paid a fee for every ship it's used upon….pending its success of course."

T'Lyra looked at her mate in disbelief and said, "Of course it will be successful; you created it. Why would there be any doubt?"

Naruto gave a tiny smile and kissed T'Lyra softly on the lips. "Thank you for your faith in my work. Regardless we will have 500 million credits whether the tests are ultimately successful or not. Starfleet wants me to design a ship as well."

The brunette's eyes widened and then she gave him a kiss in return. "I always said you were too smart for your own good. What are we going to do with all that money?"

"We could buy a moon I guess." said Naruto with a shrug.

T'Lyra said with a full smile, "You are so illogical at times."

….

 **Stardate 2271.345 Prometheus XII System**

 _Ship's log: Stardate 2271.345. Captain Trent Aldridge reporting: Our Away Team may have discovered why there are no animals. The samples of plants that they brought back were all dangerous by nature. Two of my crew were poisoned which our medical staff quickly took care of but Ensign Pulaski was hit by a plant that actually_ _fires_ _spores and was badly injured. Three others were hit as well but their injuries are minor. Our medics are very concerned for Pulaski's survival as the spore infection is spreading very rapidly_ ….

Shizuka was in the Officer's Mess eating some lunch with her friend Medical Doctor Leah Walker.*** "Damn; Pulaski's a good kid and his life is hanging by a thread down in quarantine." said Shizuka. "He just got out of the Academy too. At least the others are all okay."

Leah was poking at her food. "Chief Medical Officer Caleb is doing all he can for Pulaski but-"

An alarm horn blared to life and the lighting went red. " _We have a breach in quarantine! I repeat; a breach in quarantine! Pulaski's body just_ _ **exploded!**_ _Medical teams report in to help the injured. Damage control units respond_."

" _Jesus Christ!_ " yelled Leah. "Get to the bridge and coordinate Shizuka. I'm headed to the main sick bay to take care of the incoming wounded."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Naruto and T'Lyra were talking with T'Ara over subspace. "So you've licensed that little warp theorem of yours my son." said T'Ara. "Very nicely done."

Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Mother, I haven't even had a chance to inform you yet."

T'Ara's eyes glinted with humor and she said, "Mothers have ways of keeping up with their children." Getting the gob smacked look from Naruto that amused her to no end, T'Ara said, "Your Great Aunt Vach called and told me Naruto."

Naruto blinked a couple of times and said "Great Aunt Vach? I don't recall- Wait; do you mean Captain Vach from Design and Repair?"

His Mother nodded. "She sent you a gift for your _kahs-wan_ but I doubt you ever opened it."

"I didn't open any of my _kahs-wan_ gifts except yours as you are well aware Mother." said the blonde hybrid. "Which side of the family is Vach from?"

"Vach M'Fau is my late Father Varith's twin sister." explained the onyx eyed beauty. "Her contact with the family has been sporadic at best since Father died. They were very close you see."

"That would explain why she was so _personable_ with me." said Naruto acidly.

T'Ara gave a tiny smile and said, "She was quite pleased with you. You remind her of my Father."

"Do I now…?" asked Naruto. "I guess that would explain why she left the contract negotiations to the others."

"Don't let Vach know that you are aware that she is your Aunt." said T'Ara. "Aunt Vach is playing some sort of game and we don't want to spoil it for her."

"I see." said Naruto nonplussed. "Very well Mother, I'll play along with this _game_ for your sake."

"That's my boy." beamed T'Ara. "Let me talk to T'Lyra, I haven't seen her lovely face in some time."

Naruto handed the tablet to T'Lyra who said, "Greetings Mother T'Ara; it is so good to see you."

"It is good to see you T'Lyra. Naruto told me you had some trouble during training. Are you alright?" asked T'Ara.

"I am well." said T'Lyra. "It was frightening naturally but I am fine."

"Did you really bite a man's finger off?" asked T'Ara with humor in her eyes.

T"Lyra's eyes widened and she kicked Naruto (off screen) for leaking that little tidbit. The brunette said, "Humans taste bad."

"Good to know." said T'Ara. "It is Talok's turn to talk to you now."

The young couple talked for the next hour with Talok, Sovar and T'Ara again before they bid their loved ones goodnight. All in all they had a nice time.

"Did you have to kick me in the shin T'Lyra?" asked Naruto.

"It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time." she answered sweetly.

….

 **Stardate 2271.347 Prometheus XII System**

The bridge of the _U.S.S. Darwin_ was a vision of hell incarnate as Lieutenant Junior Grade Shizuka Nadeshiko stepped onto it wearing a Marine survival suit used for boarding party combat. She saw the remnants of Captain Aldridge and several others. They'd obviously been at point blank when one of the spore infected crewmember's bodies exploded. The remains of all the bodies were peppered with spores now. ' _I hope they all died in an instant_ ….' thought the young Vulcan woman trying to make herself feel better. It wasn't the first time that she'd seen such horrors and she was able to keep from throwing up at the scene.

Most of the Marines were still alive because they had access to the combat survival suits. Shizuka wasn't sure what officers were left alive and had ordered her Marines to treat the _Darwin_ as hostile territory. Turning back into the turbolift Shizuka activated her communicator and called to one of the remaining crewmembers in the Emergency Bridge; "This is Nadeshiko; lock down the bridge. I repeat, lock down the bridge. It is contaminated with no survivors…."

" _This is Pizer in the emergency bridge_." said Marine Sergeant Pizer. " _All ventilation to the Bridge is locked down. All doors and turbolifts are locked down. Lieutenant, that's 15% of the ship quarantined. We've lost contact with the auxiliary control room as well_."

"I'm on my way with squad A." said Shizuka. "Have we had any further contact with Chief Engineer Orwell? He's ranking Officer as far as I know."

"…. _Negative Ma'am_." replied Pizer in a hollow tone.

Shizuka hung her head. "What's the closest team to engineering Pizer?"

Pizer reported, " _Second Lieutenant Wilcox and Squad C are the closest. They are securing the transporter room_. "

The Vulcan Security Chief ordered, "Coordinate with them and tell Wilcox to head to Engineering when he's done in the transporter room, Nadeshiko out."

" _Understood Ma'am. Pizer out_." replied the Sergeant.

….

 **Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

 _Personal Log: Stardate 2271.347. Having T'Lyra here with me has been a huge relief. Seeing her safe and well has lifted an immense weight off of my shoulders to use a human term. I was very concerned about her given the assault on her person but she says she is fine now that we are together. We have been at a hotel room here on campus reserved for guests for the past few days so that we may have some privacy. I truly doubt T'Lyra would appreciate M'rella's exhibitionism regardless. T'Lyra's friend Brea Mathuin is extremely gregarious and enjoys drinking a bit too much. T'Lyra says this is normal behavior for Recruit Mathuin but I find it vexing when she interrupts my mate and I._

 _We have decided that T'Lyra and I will get some time together next time by renting rent a pair of speeders and going touring for the weekend_ ….

….

T'lyra was looking at her mate across the coffee table. "So how does one go about designing a fully fledged Federation starship when your only experience in the area is strictly in civilian designs?"

Naruto gave a tiny smile and said, "I presume that the best way is to take an existing design that is successful and use it as a starting point. This 'light cruiser' has to be large enough to adapt to future design changes but also to have some modular features so it can be adapted to different roles. I'm reading a design history on Federation vessels and it seems that designs start small and tend to grow as the design progresses. I was told that I'm only limited by my imagination but I still want something reasonable to present to the Bureau of Design and Repair."

The brunette said, "Then you should start with the engines and build the ship around them. You already know astrodynamics so once the power systems are figured out you can set your other parameters from there."

Naruto pondered and said, "So it would be designed like a speeder?" Seeing her nod; he entered some data into his tablet and said, "I can find no fault in your logic T'Lyra. I already had the power plants roughly figured because I needed them to fit the architecture of my curved warp theorem. Perhaps I should let you design it instead."

She gave a small smile in return and said, "How about you design it and I just be your advisor?"

"I couldn't ask for a better advisor than you T'Lyra." said Naruto warmly….

….

 **Stardate 2271.349 Prometheus XII System**

 _Ship's Log: Stardate 2271.349. Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko reporting: The Galactic Survey Cruiser_ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _has lost over 80% of its crew and the uninfected are hunting down the remaining infected crewmembers in boarding party combat survival suits. I am the only bridge officer left alive. As Chief of Security I have to safeguard the remaining crew's lives at all costs. The fungal spores brought back by our Away Team have proven 100% lethal to all infected. A few willingly surrendered and died for the sake of their fellow crewmembers but most have been gripped by madness and have savagely fought to the death or worse exploded into a shower of spores and spread the infection. I managed to activate the quarantine beacon from the Emergency Bridge to keep other ships away so they won't suffer_ _Darwin's_ _fate_ ….

Shizuka saw an infected crewman that was covered with the telltale blue mushroom like protrusions. They were even growing out of his eyes as he stumbled down the hall moaning mindlessly. Shizuka pulled her phaser rifle and clicked the setting to disintegrate. ' _I have to vaporize him_ _now_ _. He's at the terminal stage and his body will burst and spread more spores!_ ' She fired the blue beam at her former comrade and he vanished into nothingness. The Security Chief motioned the two Marines with her out with an 'all clear' sign. They came around the corner and set their sights on Sick Bay. She pounded on the door when it didn't open and noted it was locked. Hitting the communicator on the wall Shizuka said, "Sick Bay! Is anyone alive in there? This is Lieutenant Nadeshiko. If you are alive give me a sign!"

"Nothing Ma'am." said one of her Marines. "Should we force the door?"

Shizuka stood back and said, "Do it." The two Marines quickly forced the door open and found the room was empty save for scorch marks. There had obviously been a shoot out in the medical bay. There was only one active monitor and Shizuka went over to it. It had a message flashing on it and Shizuka said, "Computer; play back message."

Her best friend, Doctor Leah Walker's face appeared on the screen. She was showing signs of infection and had a phaser wound in her shoulder. "I'm the last one alive in the Sick Bay medical lab." said the recording. "The spores can only live for 48 hours outside a human or animal body. They cannot infect plants. If anyone is seeing this and there are still infected crewmembers then put on survival suits and cut the life support to kill the remaining infected personnel." Shizuka's eyes widened. Then Leah said, "I'm terminating myself now before the spores cause my body to erupt and spread further. This is Doctor Leah Walker signing off."

Shizuka's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the burnt out chair where Leah took her own life with a phaser. "Damn it all!" she whispered.

The Security Chief pulled out her communicator that was set on a coded frequency. "All remaining personnel uninfected on this frequency pull back to the staging area in the Cargo Bay. Repeat; pull back to the staging area in the Cargo Bay."

….

Two hours later fifty three uncontaminated people were in the Cargo Bay and an additional nine were in the Emergency Bridge. They were all wearing survival suits with access to plenty of additional oxygen in external tanks. On the Emergency Bridge Shizuka was standing at the panel to cut the life support and said, "Gods forgive me." before she punched the button.

The ship's life support immediately shut down and the airlocks and shuttle bay doors opened which caused the hull to rapidly depressurize. Both bodies and debris were blown out into space as the _Darwin_ continued to orbit Prometheus XII D leaving a macabre trail of death drifting behind her….

….

 **Stardate 2271.351, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Naruto and T'Lyra shared a very passionate kiss goodbye (in private) before the brunette and her friend Brea Mathuin got on the shuttle to their next training destination which was in Paris on Earth. The blonde hybrid stood at the launch terminal platform for a long time before M'rella and the rest of _The Think Tank_ pulled him back inside. M'rella patted Naruto's shoulder and said, "I'm sure you'll see each other again soon."

The blonde hybrid nodded and said, "I believe getting back to my homework would be the best option." He spent the afternoon diligently working on his class assignments before turning in early for the night….

 _Dream…._

 _Naruto was standing at the base of a flight of stairs inside a round stone tower. In the center of the tower was a raised dais that the stairs led up to. Everything seemed familiar to Naruto even though he'd never seen the place before. "Is this an ancestral memory?" he wondered aloud. "It feels like one."_

 _"It is not." said a woman's voice from the top of the stairs. Naruto's vision rose to the dais and beside it stood a beautiful white haired woman with white eyes and horns. She also had a single red eye in the center of her forehead._

 _"Kaguya…." he whispered. The blonde's voice was one of awe._

 _She smiled down at him and said, "Hello Naruto; you've grown into a fine young man. This is not a dream but rather me contacting you my Grandchild."_

 _Naruto asked, "I am your Grandchild?"_

 _The Rabbit Goddess nodded. "Yes, your first name was Ashura though that's irrelevant now I suppose. You've reincarnated many times. I have something for you."_

 _Naruto looked warily at her and said, "I have seen the extinction of our people through my dreams."_

 _"It's not that. I know the memories of the Shinobi have been engrained in your very DNA and that of your future children." said Kaguya._

 _"Our people were called the Shinobi?" asked Naruto._

 _"Those who practiced ninjutsu were a warrior class called Shinobi." explained Kaguya. "Our race as a group simply referred to ourselves as 'humans' like those of other worlds. But it was the Shinobi that made our race grand. Those that wielded chakra made the world great but also led to the world's extinction. I blessed your Mother with the honor of birthing you so that you would have the emotional control that our people lacked. You are the last of the Shinobi. As I once was you are the beginning of a new race."_

 _Naruto looked confused. "You wish for me to continue our lineage as a new race?"_

 _"Yes; the new Shinobi will exceed their predecessors because they won't be foolish as I was." said Kaguya. "I had enormous power; more than all of the others really. But I developed a messiah complex that led to me being sealed away. I don't care to remember it but it was only the death of all my descendants and centuries of contemplation that brought me back to I am more of a spirit than anything."_

 _Naruto said, "I suppose centuries of solitude would be lonely."_

 _"It was necessary I'm afraid." said Kaguya. "The new Shinobi you will Father won't suffer the same fate as their ancestors. As I said though; I have something for you. You know many techniques that are so powerful that your body is incapable of using them, yes?"_

 _"Yes, that is true." said Naruto. "I never understood why."_

 _"That is because you do not know Sage Mode yet Naruto." said the Rabbit Goddess. "When you come to visit me in my garden I will train you in Sage Mode to you as a gift. It is far too powerful to learn in dreams without supervision. I will give you that training and it will open doors to a new level of power that is your birthright."_

 _Then she smiled and said, "I will call upon you again sometime in the future. When you are ready to take your journey here I will be waiting Grandson…."_

 _Dream end_ ….

Naruto awoke in his quarters and saw it was still before the sun came up. M'rella was still fast asleep purring softly as she usually did. Naruto laid awake in bed pondering his future. ' _Some day I must go to the world of Tori Prime IV and learn the ways of this Sage Mode_.' Eventually Naruto let himself drift back into a dreamless sleep….

….

 **Stardate 2271.353** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log: Stardate 2271.353. Acting Captain Shizuka Nadeshiko reporting:_ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _has successfully re-pressurized and we are in contact with Starfleet Command. The spores are dead thanks to Doctor Leah Walker's diligence. We've been given orders to lay in a course for Starbase 17 at warp factor 4 to rendezvous with our sistership,_ _NCC-1807 U.S.S. Sagan_ _so they may examine the_ _Darwin_ _and check for final decontamination. All 62 survivors are glad that the voyage on the_ _Darwin_ _will soon be over as we all consider it a death ship now. We are lucky to have survived at all but I for one will be haunted a long time by what I've seen_ ….

As the _Darwin_ plowed through space her remaining crew never stepped outside the areas that weren't cleared as uncontaminated. It wasn't just a matter of the former contamination; it was the gruesome remains that were too numerous to count. They rendezvoused with the _U.S.S. Sagan_ on schedule and were soon docked in a floating repair dock outside Starbase 17. The _Darwin's_ remaining crew was taken off the ship so the entire vessel could be completely decontaminated of all the possible foreign particles. Starfleet's Engineer's estimated that it would take two months before the ship would be fit for habitation again –and that was the estimate without physical repairs. As the _Darwin_ was scheduled for a six month refit period the next year it was decided that once decontamination was complete she would be sent to Mars shipyards to complete her refit ahead of schedule by trading places with one of her sisterships….

….

Shizuka was standing at attention with her shipmates where the Starbase commander Admiral Carroll was presiding over a memorial for all of those that died aboard _U.S.S. Darwin_. The bagpipes were played as they gave a ceremonial salute to those who died. After the ceremonies were over Shizuka was promoted to full Lieutenant and awarded with the Federation Distinguished Service Cross. ' _It wasn't worth it_ ….' was the only thought that ran through her mind as she respectfully accepted her award and rank pins.

….

"So what are you planning to do now that you are a full lieutenant?" asked Second Lieutenant Wilcox. Shizuka was drinking with the Marine contingent.

The Security Chief said, "Right now I'm going to drink. I've already put in for temporary leave back home on Earth. We all need to get our heads back together after what happened." Shizuka shook her head and looked out through the transparencies at the floating repair dock where the _Darwin_ was lying there dormant. "It's been two years since I've seen my folks. What about you Wilcox?"

"I'm headed home myself." said Wilcox. "I think we all are. There's just too much heartbreak out here."

….

 _Space is a dangerous place_ ….

….

 _OMAKE:_

 **Starfleet Academy, Medical Hall, Psychiatric Offices**

Once a month Samui Schrodinger was to visit her 'handler' because she was an Augment and the recent events involving Khan Noonien Singh aboard the _U.S.S. Enterprise_ made Starfleet hit the panic button. As it was the beautiful blonde Augment girl was waiting outside her handler's office. He was over two meters tall and built like a pro wrestler. He had a shaved bald head and a goatee. She couldn't decide whether he actually had a degree in psychiatrics or if he was just an ex-parole officer Starfleet picked up off the street. His name: Maximilian Grissom. Hobbies: Annoying Samui with obvious bias against her heritage. Talents: Being a dick. Samui's pet name for him: The Arsehole.

Grissom looked up as he buzzed Samui into his office. "Good afternoon Miss Schrodinger, I see you are on time for our monthly meeting." The man's voice was dripping with derision.

Samui sat herself down opposite the handler at his desk and said formally, "Good afternoon Handler Grissom."

The big man wasted no time getting on with things, "Upon reviewing your profile I've found your grades are exemplary as always and your behavior is within societal norms for a _human being_."

"Given I _am_ a human being I would think that would be expected." said the blonde curtly.

"That's a matter of perspective." said the handler. "Let's get on with the interview."

….

Grissom: "Do you feel your augmented abilities make you more suited to command than others?" ' _Monster._ '

Samui: "No sir." ' _Jackass._ '

Grissom: "Have you ever forced others to do your bidding with your enhanced strength?" ' _Freak_.'

Samui: "No, I have not." ' _Idiot._ '

Grissom: "Do you have the desire to hurt others or abuse them in any way?" ' _Devil's spawn_.'

Samui: "No." ' _Arsehole_.'

Grissom: "Have you been using any narcotics or other illegal substances to enhance yourself?" ' _Maniac._ '

Samui: "No sir, I haven't." ' _Bastard_.'

Grissom: "Have you had the urge to take command forcibly from others?" ' _Evil one_.'

Samui: "No." (sigh) ' _Moron_.'

Grissom: "Have you had any megalomaniac urges this month?" ' _Demon_.'

Samui: "Only when I'm on my period."

Grissom: " ** _WHAAAAT?!_** "

The interview went downhill quickly from there…..

 _OMAKE END…._

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**See way back in Chapter 3. Shizuka Nadeshiko has typical Vulcan features but thinks and acts like her human parents that adopted her at birth.

***Also from Chapter 3. Shizuka's blonde friend from High School.

Another chapter in the books. This chapter had some particularly dark themes so I went ahead and put in the Omake I was saving for next chapter. Well, Kaguya has made contact with Naruto after seventeen years with the offer of Sage Mode. Will Naruto take a secret journey in the near future or will he wait? Also, Naruto has started roughing in some basic ideas for a starship with the help of T'lyra. We will see more development of that as time goes on. See you next time. Blue out. 5/11/17


	16. Chapter 16

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'd like to thank **SFBKludge** for his input on ship design. There are some small time skips this chapter rather than day by day as we have been going so watch the Stardates. Wow; over 450 favorites and follows and over 400 reviews. Thanks to everybody for their continued support. Here is chapter 16. Enjoy!

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2:

For those asking this story is set during the Star Trek: TOS period and the original movies ( **NOT** the reboot). The order is this:

Star Trek: Enterprise is about 100 years before TOS

TOS + Original Movies (Infinity Divide)

The Next Generation, Voyager and Deep Space 9 happen roughly 100 years after TOS

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 _Shizuka was standing at attention with her shipmates where the Starbase commander Admiral Carroll was presiding over a memorial for all of those that died aboard_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _. The bagpipes were played as they gave a ceremonial salute to those who died. After the ceremonies were over Shizuka was promoted to a full Lieutenant and awarded with the Federation Distinguished Service Cross. '_ _It wasn't worth it…._ _' was the only thought that ran through her mind as she respectfully accepted her award and rank pins._

 _…._

 _"So what are you planning to do now that you are a full Lieutenant?" asked Second Lieutenant Wilcox. Shizuka was drinking with the Marine contingent._

 _The Security Chief said, "Right now I'm going to drink. I've already put in for temporary leave back home on Earth. We all need to get our heads back together after what happened." Shizuka shook her head and looked out through the transparencies at the floating repair dock where the_ _Darwin_ _was lying there dormant. "It's been two years since I've seen my folks. What about you Wilcox?"_

 _"I'm headed home myself." said Wilcox. "I think we all are. There's just too much heartbreak out here."_

 _…._

 _Space is a dangerous place_ ….

Chapter 16

 **Stardate 2271.360, Starfleet Academy, Simulation Hall, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

"It's the last simulation of the year people!" said Commander Triela Jackson. "Let's do this right."

 **Federation Light Cruiser** ** _U.S.S. Texas_**

 _Ships Log; Stardate 2271.360 Captain M'rella of the United Federation Starship_ _NCC-900 U.S.S. Texas_ _reporting. The_ _Texas_ _has been assigned to guard a small convoy of four freighters to Battle Station 16. Unfortunately; one of the freighters, the_ _Bauxite_ _, has developed engine trouble and brought our convoy to a crawl. We have sent an engineering team over to the_ _Bauxite_ _to help repair their engines. Convincing the other freighter Captains to slow down while we conduct repairs has been a difficult task as they wish to abandon the_ _Bauxite_ _and make a run for the Battle Station since pirates have been spotted in the area recently_ ….

The last hour had been diplomatic hell for Captain M'rella and had been equally bad for Samui Schrodinger who was stuck at the communications post. They were escorting four small freighters and the Captain of each freighter was argumentive and only cared about their own personal gain. They would abandon the _Bauxite_ and everyone on it in a heartbeat if it would get them the tiniest bit ahead in the game.

 _'I thought fleet battles were rough but compared to convoy duty they are easy_.' thought M'rella. ' _At least there is a true chain of command in a fleet. I feel like I'm trying to herd animals instead of escort freighters_.'

The crewmembers of the _Texas_ were all thinking along the same lines….

….

 **Orion Raider Cruiser** **_Lost and Found**_**

 _Ship's Log, Captain 'Blackjack' Joseph Kirov reporting. The_ _Lost and Found_ _has had the good luck of inserting a man and sabotaging the small freighter_ _Bauxite's_ _engines. Now we are waiting to pounce on the fat, juicy freighters that will no doubt break away from their escort at any minute now. We are hiding under a second hand cloaking device from the Romulan Empire and that unsuspecting old Federation light cruiser_ _Texas_ _is unaware of our presence. We've been waiting 65 standard minutes for the freighters to break away and run. Why they haven't yet is beyond me_ ….

It was rare for Orion Pirates to get their hands on a Romulan cloaking device but it wasn't unheard of. Most that did were actually operating in Romulan territory. As it was the third year team had a huge tactical advantage. "Captain Kirov?" asked the helmsman.

"Yes helm?" answered the pirate Captain.

"We only have twenty five minutes before Federation reinforcements arrive. The convoy should have broken up by now. I suggest we take out that light cruiser while her shields are down. As old and slow as that _Texas_ is we should have the advantage."

Kirov chuckled. "From the chatter over subspace those freighters are going to break away any second. Let's be patient shall we?"

….

 **Federation Light Cruiser** ** _U.S.S. Texas_**

Naruto was sitting at the navigator's station plotting the shortest course to the Battle Station 16 when he spotted something odd. "Captain M'rella, there appears to be a spatial distortion 23 degrees off our starboard bow at 120,000 kilometers."

M'rella's ears perked up slightly in concern and she said "Magnify on screen; sciences get me some readings on that distortion."

Shar studied the sciences monitor and said, "Minimal time/space fluctuations. It could be nothing….or it could be a cloaked ship as unlikely as that seems."

M'rella thought for a moment as she looked at the distortion and said, "Yellow alert, bring our shields up and phasers online. Have our shuttles on standby for launch. Communications; inform all freighters to do the same."

Samui nodded. "….I've sent the message away, the freighter's Captains are squawking about their shuttles and want to know why."

"Inform them the shuttle's phasers will help in our defense and double the firepower of our convoy for the next few minutes."

….

 **Orion Raider Cruiser** **_Lost and Found_**

"What the hell?" said the third year science officer. "Why are they raising shields?"

Kirov looked wide eyed and said, "Ahead full. Arm the disruptors!"

"They are launching shuttles sir." said sciences.

"It's of no consequence." said Kirov. "Once we wreck the _Texas_ then the rest will go like clockwork."

….

 **Federation Light Cruiser** ** _U.S.S. Texas_**

"The distortion is moving towards us at warp factor four. It's a cloaked ship." said Shar.

"Our photons won't be armed in time." said Rafi from the helm.

M'rella's amber eyes widened. "Put the extra power towards the number one shield instead of the photons. Energize the tractor beams with battery power. Execute!"

"An Orion Raider Cruiser is fading in from under cloak!" said Rafi as the _Lost and Found_ started to uncloak.

"As soon as we have lock on activate the tractor beams." said M'rella.

"The first tractor failed to link…." said Shar. "….The second tractor has locked on!"

….

 **Orion Raider Cruiser** **_Lost and Found_**

"They've locked a tractor on us!" said the helmsman as the _Lost and Found_ shook violently.

"Cloak us out!" yelled Kirov. "Get us out of here!"

….

 **Federation Light Cruiser** ** _U.S.S. Texas_**

"They are trying to fade back out!" said Shar.

"Fire all phasers." said M'rella. "Their cloak won't work while under a tractor link."

"Firing phasers." said Naruto.

Six blue phaser beams lashed out from the _Texas_ and plowed into the forward shield of the _Lost and Found_. The pirate ship couldn't return fire with her (ineffective) cloaking device active. Her front shield buckled as the phasers cleaved into the dark gray hull of the pirate cruiser.

M'rella said, "Communications, have all shuttles and freighters open fire!" Samui passed the order along and the _Lost and Found_ suffered massive internal damage from the second volley without her forward shield to protect her. Between the shuttles and the freighters they were able to bring ten smaller phasers to bear and the results where devastating at point blank range. The pirate cruiser managed to lurch away and used its own tractors to negate the tractor beam from the _Texas_ before it fully cloaked out again….

"The Orion Raider Cruiser is limping away Captain M'rella." said Shar. "Shall we attempt to pursue?"

M'rella shook her head. "No; our job is to protect this convoy. That Orion is crippled at best. Let's recover the shuttles and get the _Bauxite_ under tow. Best speed to Battle Station 16."

….

 **Orion Raider Cruiser** **_Lost and Found_**

The lights were out in the smoking bridge of the _Lost and Found_. "Well, shit! We took a direct hit in the bridge and we're all floating _dead out in space_ Captain Kirov." said a voice in the dark.

A female voice added, "Where the hell did you learn how to fight with a cloaking device you moron? Reactivating it while we were under a tractor was tantamount to suicide."

Kirov's voice said weakly, "Sorry guys, I should have reviewed that chapter on cloaking devices before we started."

" _YOU DUMB BASTARD!_ " shrieked the entire third year bridge crew.

….

 **Stardate 2271.365, Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair**

It was New Year's Eve and Naruto was talking with Captain Hiro Suzuki at the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair about adapting and existing design to suit Naruto's new warp theorem. "We are projecting the new engines that were designed last year as being mated to a proven Constitution Class heavy cruiser hull but there are speed limits we can't get past Doctor Naruto. The _Enterprise_ will have them but no matter how much power you pack in something there is only so fast you can go astrodynamically. I know that you are formulating ideas for a light cruiser but this design project takes precedence. I want you to adapt the Constitution Class design as a consultant and completely redo the warp field architecture to fit your curved warp theorem. I believe that putting your _hot warp_ breakthrough and an existing design together could yield some fantastic results."

" _Hot warp?_ " asked the blonde.

"It's the moniker your theorem has gained Doctor." said Suzuki. "We estimate a 17% warp efficiency increase from your theorem. I don't know who coined the phrase _hot warp_ but it seems appropriate; yes?"

Naruto mentally sighed at the nickname. "So you are trying to top Commander Scott's Enterprise refit before it's even started." said Naruto.

Suzuki grinned. "It is the nature of ship design to always improve over the preceding classes."

Naruto said, "I'll need detailed schematics on these new engines as well as the refitted Constitution Class; Captain Suzuki. Given it's a new type aren't you being a bit fast and loose with security?"

The Captain said, "Captain Vach and I discussed this at length as well as Rear Admiral Tolm. We have four outside consultants and the staff befuddled with this problem. They are working on it around the clock but bringing in a fifth consultant seems to be our best option at this point. Besides, you know the curved warp theorem better than anyone."

….

Naruto was less than thrilled that his new light cruiser design was pushed to the side in favor of this _hot warp_ cruiser. He was getting paid handsomely for his work as a consultant but all the same he felt like he was just picking up the pieces of someone else's labors. Nevertheless he decided to throw himself into it. ' _The ideal thing would be a more compact saucer in order to improve astrodynamic efficiency with the engines whether they are more powerful or not. The problem is that would imbalance the Constitution Class's center of mass and greatly reduce internal room for everything. Either the systems would have to be made compact and mass added to the bow or….I need to work on this in my quarters where my equipment is. I can expand later in the Engineering Hall once I get a preliminary design outlined_.'

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 125-F**

Naruto arrived at his dorm room pondering the new ship design the whole way. When the blonde hybrid entered he found his roommate M'rella in a very fancy black and gold kimono style dress with Aztec patterns complete with jewelry. "There you are Naruto!" she said happily with a purr. "Hmmm….What do you think?" she asked as she twirled slowly to show off her form fitting attire. Her dainty feet were bare except for anklets.

The blonde's brain raced for a complement but he had no idea why she was dressed up fancy. "You look dazzling M'rella. But I have to ask; why you are in dress clothes?"

She giggled. "It's New Year's Eve here on Earth. The whole dorm is having a party in the gymnasium remember? We are supposed to eat, drink and be merry _remember?_ "

Naruto cringed mentally. His head was so filled with starship designs and warp field structures that the party had been all but completely forgotten. "Ah yes. Now I remember. I was sidetracked by other things you see."

Her amber eyes were filled with curiosity. "Hmmm….What were you thinking about; romantic dancing or music perhaps?"

"Warp fields actually." replied the blonde.

The beautiful Caitian girl face faulted and said pointing at Naruto, "Put on your dress clothes and escort me to the party!"

"Yes Ma'am!" answered Naruto crisply. He got in his closet and pulled out his crimson M'Fau robes. The scent of Vulcan and the desert was upon them. He gently smelled them before he took them back into the bathroom to change. When he came out the blonde neatly put his laundry in the hamper and put on his Vulcan sandals after putting his boots away.

M'rella came over to Naruto's side and began to examine his crimson robes. She ran her fingers over the surprising course material and said, "This fabric….it's awfully sturdy material for dress clothing don't you think?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in his usual manner and said, "It needs to be sturdy in case of sandstorms or other hazards on Vulcan. It is very practical clothing."

The Caitian girl chortled and said, "How eminently logical Naruto."

"Thank you." replied the hybrid.

"You are welcome." she said with a giggle. "Let's go to see the others."

….

 **Dorm-F Gymnasium**

M'rella was leading Naruto along a she had his elbow. "….And the craziest thing about it was for a second this morning I saw you asleep and then two of you sitting around the desk studying. I knew I was still not quite awake at that point so I hopped in the shower." said the Caitian girl.

Naruto mentally was panicked. ' _By the gods, my shadow clones were nearly discovered! I have to be more cautious_.' "Perhaps you were just tired M'rella."

"I guess so." she said with a giggle. "I don't know how many Narutos the universe could handle at one time."

' _About eight to ten is my current maximum but the mental feedback tires me out_.' thought Naruto. He opened the door to the gym and heard clapping and cheering. There was a stage at one end of the gym where music was being performed. It was quick and steady with a mandolin like instrument playing rhythm that one could dance to. Amidst all this at the center of attention was their Orion classmate Leatta who was dancing in a filmy white outfit that barely covered her modesty. The drums started playing more rapidly as she swayed to and fro like a snake charmer. It was a rather fantastic display similar to Terran belly dancing and most of the males in the room were transfixed in fascination….

M'rella let out a snort of disapproval and said, "I see Leatta is the center of attention as always. With all the pheromones she's sweating off it's no wonder the men won't stop staring."

Naruto knew that Orions let off pheromones that affected others around them to some extent. It was said whatever mood they were in seemed to be transmitted to others around them. A frightened Orion would send out pheromones that would cause others around them to feel fear to some degree. The legends of lustful Orion slave women being irresistible lovers probably stemmed from this. ' _Or was simply hype for slave dealers to sell off their wares_ ….' thought Naruto cynically.

The Caitian girl spotted their friends Rafi and Samui Schrodinger sitting over by the bar with Shar and his roommate Shelly Wilson. Rafi waved them over and M'rella smiled. "Come on Naruto. The others are waving to us." she said over the noise of the crowd.

Naruto followed M'rella over and saw Samui was wearing a blue ballroom style gown. Rafi was wearing a backless dress in white and her Trill 'spots' were prominently on display. "Hey guys!" said Rafi exuberantly. "Come drink with us!"

M'rella laughed and asked, "What are you drinking there Rafi?" Rafi was already a bit tipsy.

Rafi grinned and said, "It's spiced rum. I'm afraid I already drank poor Shar under the table though. Of course he was drinking Andorian Ale so I think he put away more alcohol than I did."

Naruto looked at Shar who looked very sharp in his dark blue Andorian suit….Aside of the fact he was face down on the table looking quite dead with his arms hanging there lifelessly at his sides. His blue colored ale glass was about half full sitting by his head.

"Anphredrine might wake him up but he'll still need to sleep off the side effects of the ale." said Shelly as she sipped on her Chardonnay. "Of course as a Medical Doctor I can't recommend drinking contests to begin with."

"What does Anphedrine even do?" asked Samui as she nursed her scotch.

Shelly took another sip of her drink and said, "It's a stimulant to wake someone up after certain medical procedures."

"I see." said M'rella. "I want a drink but not enough to put me out."

Samui said, "Don't drink with Rafi then."

Rafi slurred, "That will be enough out of you Miss Schrodinger."

Naruto walked over to the bartender and asked, "Do you have any Vulcan Port?"

The bartender questioned, "You actually like that stuff?"

The blonde said, "It's an acquired taste even for us Vulcans."

Then the bartender noticed Naruto's pointed ears and said, "I didn't realize you were Vulcan. I should have some Vulcan Port but it's rare I get asked for it."

Naruto nodded as the bartender looked through his wares. Soon Naruto joined the others with a glass full of emerald green Vulcan Port. M'rella also joined them with a small glass of Saurian Brandy.

"So what is the traditional toast to a New Year here on Earth Shelly?"

"Ummm….cheers?" said Shelly uncertainly.

"You just wish everyone a Happy New Year." said Samui. "Then you all clink your glasses together and say _cheers_. That how my parents did it anyway."

A table over they heard Naruto's Orion friend Kloene leading a toast. "Empires may come and go but Orion Gold is forever!" Everyone at his table looked dumbfounded.

"Wow; he's really wasted." said Rafi. "Happy New Year!" she said raising her glass. "CHEERS!"

….

 **Barcelona, Spain**

"CHEERS!" roared Brea Mathuin. T'Lyra (henceforth known as _the responsible one_ ) was dragging her friend Brea out of the bar that many of the recruits were spending their New Year's in. Brea was in rare form and was loaded up on blue Antarean Brandy. She was totally gone and _the responsible one_ was hauling Brea's carcass out before the dark haired Irish girl did something stupid….

T'Lyra thought to herself, ' _I'll never understand human customs. What is the point in getting falling down drunk?_ '

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 140-F**

Naruto set his Andorian friend Shar down on his bed under the careful guidance of Shelly Wilson. She'd had too much herself but could still walk a straight line. Shar on the other hand was sleeping like he was in a coma. The blonde thought to himself, ' _I wonder how T'Lyra is doing. This human custom of getting drunk at New Year's makes no sense to me_.'

It was tough being a Vulcan at New Years….

….

 **Stardate 2272.001, Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 125-F**

It was morning and Naruto was up early as usual making his log entry….

 _Personal Log: Stardate 2272.001. It is New Years day here on Earth and the humans follow a tradition of dealing with the affect affects of inebriation and doing nothing on this holiday as explained to me by my friend Samui. She has a much higher alcohol tolerance thanks to her physiology. Likewise; in my case I would have to imbibe a great deal to suffer any ill effects from alcohol due to my healing factor. M'rella is sleeping peacefully and I don't wish to disturb her so I am doing homework in the living space at the desk as I eat breakfast. I was looking at the option of having eggs for breakfast on the food replicator when I came to the realization that this fast cruiser I am working on could have its normally saucer shaped primary hull stretched into an egg shape in order to compensate for the center of mass and space problems. It is fascinating where one's inspiration may come from_ ….

The blonde roughed in his idea for an egg or arrowhead shaped primary hull for the fast cruiser during the morning hours and finally came up with something workable in short order. "Simple solutions are best." Naruto thought aloud. After carefully calculating the structural weight Naruto realized that the basic idea was viable but he would need months to develop the structural details and map out the new warp field. ' _Once I have this framed in I should be able to present the concept to Captain Suzuki and Captain Vach._ '

….

 **Stardate 2272.034, Starbase 1, Geosynchronous Orbit over Starfleet Headquarters, Planet Earth**

A month later T'Lyra Tolaris and Brea Mathuin graduated their training and both qualified as Engineer's Apprentices and were assigned to the spacedock repair facilities at Starbase 1 orbiting over Earth. Outside of the Starbase was Floating Repair Dock 1 which was where the starship _NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise_ was being refitted. FRD-1 was a bustle of activity and the two young women often found themselves running supplies out to the repair dock when they weren't working on ships docked at the Starbase proper. It was a very busy place and often T'Lyra would gaze down at Earth knowing her Naruto was miles below her at the Starfleet Academy still stuck in school while she was high in the skies above working.

' _It's nice knowing Naruto is just a transporter beam away_.' thought T'Lyra. ' _I can't believe he bought us a pair of speeder bikes just to celebrate my graduation. I wish I could spend every weekend out racing around with him but we both have very busy schedules. At least we are able to spend one weekend of shore leave together every month and there are no issues communicating with each other in the evenings. Life is good right now. I wonder how things will change once he graduates. We should be assigned to the same duty stations according to the regulations for mated couples. Of course, we'll hopefully be married by then_ ….'

The young Vulcan woman shook her head. "There I go daydreaming again..." she thought aloud.

….

 **Stardate 2272.041 Mojave Desert, California, Planet Earth**

The next weekend Naruto and T'Lyra were out in the desert camping in the dry heat. They'd been making love in their tent all night and throughout the morning. T'Lyra was laying on top of her lover feeling sated and content. In spite of the heat she was basking in Naruto's warmth. Despite the fact Naruto seemed ready for another round she was a bit tender from losing her virginity the night before. T'Lyra was using his chest as a pillow and the gentle rise and fall of his breathing made her think of being on the ocean. She smiled as she lazily drew circles on his chest with her right index finger.

For his part Naruto was lying flat on his back gently rubbing his mate's back. Feeling her soft skin next to his was an amazing feeling and seeing her in all her naked glory the night before had been amazing. He said, "Good morning T'Lyra. Last night was wonderful. I love you."

T'Lyra smiled happily and hummed in agreement. She shimmied up her mate and gave him a deep, passionate good morning kiss. ""I love you too my husband. We should have done this long ago."

Naruto returned his lover's smile and said, "I'd love to do this every weekend. Do you want to get up or lay here awhile longer?"

She hummed softly and said, "Let's doze for a while longer. I'm very comfortable."

The blonde gave his beautiful mate a kiss and said, "Sleep awhile then." He yawned and said, "I'm entirely too content just to hold you T'Lyra."

It wasn't until several hours later after they made the trip back to San Francisco….

….

 **Stardate 2272.068, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars**

The decontaminated hull of _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ arrived slightly behind schedule with a skeleton crew of fifty to bring her to Mars for an extensive refit. While the ship was thoroughly scoured clean the damage from minor explosions and phaser shootouts on nearly every deck made her look more like a derelict inside than a proud ship of the fleet. There was a great deal of work to be done inside and out.

It was here that Engineer's Apprentice Brea Mathuin and her friend (just promoted) Engineer's Mate T'Lyra Tolaris were assigned. Brea looked at the Galactic Survey Cruiser as it slowly was maneuvered into Floating Repair Dock Number 15. They heard the dock's overhead announce, " _This is Command._ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _has successfully docked at FRD-15. All dock personnel report to your operating stations. Repeat: All personnel to your stations_."

"Looks like we have a lot of work to do T'Lyra." said Brea. "The _Darwin_ and the _Enterprise_ over Earth are the only heavy ships under full refit in the system."

T'Lyra nodded "We have six months. The _Darwin_ should be good as new when we're done."

The young Vulcan woman had been less than thrilled to transfer out to Mars. She had just passed her tests to become an Engineer's Mate and put in to transfer to work on the _Enterprise_ when she was (quite illogically) transferred out to Mars and the _Darwin_. There was no problem getting in touch with Naruto of course but the young couple was extremely dismayed finding out they wouldn't be able to spend as much time together….

 _Such was life in Starfleet_ ….

….

 **Stardate 2272.098, Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

It took Naruto nearly four months to design the primary hull of the _hot warp_ cruiser to his liking. The finalized design was very unusual in concept. Other attempts had met with failure and the fast cruiser concept was bogged down. Both Suzuki and Vach had expected something from Naruto sooner but failed to take him being a perfectionist into account. When the blonde called Captain Suzuki the man was honestly surprised.

 _Flashback…._

 _Captain Hiro Suzuki was sitting in his office looking at the eleven preliminary fast concepts in puzzlement. Some looked like a basic Constitution Class with minor changes but others were so radically different that they barely resembled the original design. They all had one major flaw or other but there was one thing they all had in common: None of them were significantly faster than the refitted Enterprise design under construction. '_ _Perhaps this design study will simply have to be shelved until a later date. We've got eleven concepts here and no major improvements_ _.' he thought to himself._

 _His monitor lit up and his secretary Clara said, "Incoming message from Doctor Naruto sir. He says it's regarding the fast cruiser design. Shall I put him through?"_

 _Suzuki's eyebrows rose. "That's unexpected. Put him through please."_

 _Naruto's whiskered face appeared on the screen. The hybrid gave him the Vulcan salute. "I bid you greetings Captain Suzuki. I believe I have solved the fast cruiser design problem which you gave me."_

 _Hiro sat there a bit dumbfounded and said, "You_ _solved_ _it?"_

 _Naruto nodded. "I would like to bring the design to you when it is convenient for you."_

 _"How soon can you be here?" asked the Captain eagerly._

 _Naruto raised a blonde eyebrow and said, "I can be there this afternoon after my classes at 4 PM."_

 _"I'll see you at 4 PM then Doctor." replied Suzuki._

 _Flashback end_ ….

Captain Vach was in Suzuki's office waiting for her mysterious great nephew. She said, "This is most unexpected but welcome news Suzuki. It's been months since we heard from him. Did Doctor M'Fau*** say anything else other than he _solved_ it?"

"The Doctor didn't elaborate but he seemed quite sure of himself." said Suzuki. "Considering this is his first attempt at designing a military vessel I'm interested in seeing if it's useful compared to the other design concepts we have."

"None of the other designs are big enough improvements to warrant production." said Vach. "If Doctor M'Fau's design proves successful then he will gain a great deal of credibility in naval design circles."

Suzuki grinned. "Admiral Tolm is anticipating great things from that young man."

"As am I." said Vach. ' _He is my nephew after all_.'

The monitor lit up again and Suzuki's secretary informed him that Doctor Naruto was there. "Send him in Clara." said Captain Suzuki.

Naruto was shown in seconds later wearing his Cadet dress uniform. He gave the Vulcan salute and seeing Vach there as well he said, "I come to serve."

Vach returned his salute and said, "Your service honors us."

Suzuki said warmly, "Welcome Doctor. Please come in and sit with us. Captain Vach and I are eager to see your work."

Naruto came forward and pulled out an extended memory module. The hybrid decoded the security lock on it and placed the module on the desk and said, "The design I created is on the memory module. It is a compromise but it is within the design parameters you gave me."

Vach raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why would a proof of concept require an entire memory module?"

"I'm curious myself Doctor Naruto." said Suzuki.

"I had to map the new warp pattern over every square meter of this new design to make sure your requirements would be met." said the blonde. Seeing disbelief in Vach's eyes Naruto cut her off and said, " _Every. Square . Meter_."

"That would explain why it took so long." said Vach.

"I was given six months." said Naruto. "I took four months so I fail to see the problem."

Suzuki sweat dropped and said, "There is no problem Doctor Naruto. Please show us the design." He set an external module jack up on the desktop and said, "Be my guest."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and quickly snapped the module into place. "Load Fast Cruiser design number one computer."

"Working." was the computer's emotionless reply. Vach and Suzuki expected the computer to load in seconds and were surprised when the computer was still loading ten minutes later.

"Computer; is there a problem?" asked Suzuki after sitting for several minutes.

"Working, 93.5% loaded." answered the computer. Suddenly the desk lit up and the said, "Loading completed. Shall I display the program?"

"Display the program computer." said Captain Vach.

Detailed plans for a new cruiser came up in a holographic display. The new design had an unusual arrowhead shaped primary hull that was completely unique compared to the other designs.**** Otherwise it was similar to a Constitution Class heavy cruiser.

As the hologram populated all the details Suzuki and Vach realized something. "This is a complete deck by deck cruiser design, not a proof of concept design!" exclaimed Suzuki.

Naruto was unfazed. "It had to be designed inside and out to prove the concept worked. Logically I created the inner structure as well." The blonde said, "Computer, display warp field map."

Captain Suzuki looked at the calculated specifications " _A 20% increase in warp efficiency?!_ "

The hybrid nodded. "I had to sacrifice two of the four photon torpedo mounts but I added two additional Type 1 Phaser banks to compensate."

Vach touched the desktop and started to rotate the design to see different angles. She and Suzuki each went over the ship in detail and found no flaw in the general design. Finally she said, "This design is magnificent Doctor M'Fau. To have created something this detailed in only four months is most impressive."

Suzuki said, "Doctor Naruto; this is _hot warp_ cruiser is brilliant! Admiral Tolm and the Engineering Team are going to love this ship. The Admiralty won't like the two photons being dropped but my god, the war college is going to love it. This ship is quite literally _built for speed!_ "

Captain Vach nodded and said. "You've exceeded all of our expectations Doctor. Well done."

' _It seems that Captain Suzuki is quite excitable_.' thought Naruto. ' _Captain Vach obviously approves as well. I wonder when she's going to tell me she is my Aunt. What an unusual woman_.'

….

POSTSCRIPT:

**Not to be confused with the Orion Light Raider of the same name. And yes, Orion pirate ships often have whacked out names. I didn't just invent it for grins.

***Most refer to Naruto by his first name. Non-Vulcans don't pronounce M'Fau quite right but obviously Vach can being from the same clan of course.

****Google: **Wolverine Fast Cruiser** and look at images

Well, Naruto's Fast Cruiser is a success on paper. Whether or not it will actually be built….time will tell. I decided to change the simulations a bit by showing the point of view of the "other side" as well instead of strictly the point of view of _The Think Tank_. Hopefully it added some depth to the battle for everyone. Naruto and T'Lyra finally had their first time together. I decided not to go into explicit detail as lemons really aren't my strong point. Now T'Lyra is on Mars again; this time as a graduate working on the Galactic Survey Cruiser _U.S.S. Darwin_. What will come of that? See you next time. Blue out. 5/17/17


	17. Chapter 17

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, the new _Star Trek: Discovery_ is coming out and a lot of people have asked whether or not it will affect _Infinity Divide_. The truth is; _I don't have a clue!_ That being said; I guess we'll see how badly the new show turns the Star Trek Universe upside down. Here is chapter 17. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 _….The blonde said, "Computer, display warp field map."_

 _Captain Suzuki looked at the calculated specifications "_ _A 20% increase in warp efficiency?!_ _"_

 _The hybrid nodded. "I had to sacrifice two of the four photon torpedo mounts but I added two additional Type 1 Phaser banks to compensate."_

 _Vach touched the desktop and started to rotate the design to see different angles. She and Suzuki each went over the ship in detail and found no flaw in the general design. Finally she said, "This design is magnificent Doctor M'Fau. To have created something this detailed in only four months is most impressive."_

 _Suzuki said, "Doctor Naruto; this is_ _hot warp_ _cruiser is brilliant! Admiral Tolm and the Engineering Team are going to love this ship. The Admiralty won't like the two photons being dropped but my god, the war college is going to love it. This ship is quite literally_ _built for speed!_ _"_

 _Captain Vach nodded and said. "You've exceeded all of our expectations Doctor. Well done."_

 _'_ _It seems that Captain Suzuki is quite excitable_ _.' thought Naruto. '_ _Captain Vach obviously approves as well. I wonder when she's going to tell me she is my Aunt. What an unusual woman_ _.'_

….

Chapter 17

 **Stardate 2272.102, Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Captain Hiro Suzuki was very enthused as he presented the Fast Cruiser design to the Admiralty Staff. "You've already designed the basic structural elements Captain Suzuki?" asked Admiral Morrow. "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself for a concept design?"

Suzuki said, "Our consultant Doctor Naruto designed the basic structural elements in order to prove the concept was viable due to the unusual hull shape. Naturally the actual interior layout will be dictated by the parameters set by the Admiralty and the War College."

"Well I don't like it." said Rear Admiral Nogura. "Building a heavy cruiser class vessel with half a cruiser's heavy weapons is a waste of resources."

Admiral Morrow said, "Captain Suzuki, would you care to explain the unusual choice of armament? This ship certainly has the power to handle four photon torpedoes instead of two."

"I conferred with Captain Vach on this feature of the design sir." said Suzuki. "The combination of four photon torpedoes and _hot warp_ technology could result in structural shock damage. It's either engines or armament. That's why the two extra phasers were added to compensate to some degree."

"This design is promising." said Vice Admiral Fitzpatrick. "I propose we turn the design over to the Engineering Corps for a detailed design analysis and interior arrangements."

"Suppose we do that." commented Nogura. "My question is how or even _if_ such a design could benefit the fleet."

"That's a question we should direct towards the War College." said Admiral Morrow. "You've been awfully quiet about this Admiral Tolm. It comes from your team. What is your opinion on the design itself?"

Rear Admiral Tolm sighed. He'd been expecting these very arguments. "It is a superb design and I believe construction of this vessel could lead to future advancements in warp architecture. That being said I believe the War College would be the best judges as to whether or not the ship would be useful to the fleet. I say we complete the detail design with the possibility of building at least one ship to see how it performs in reality rather than simple projections. A 20% increase in warp engine efficiency is nothing to scoff at and could lead to more powerful starship designs in the future."

Morrow nodded and said, "Have your team do a detail design with an all purpose Fast Cruiser in mind Tolm. In the meantime let's turn the projected design over to the War College to see what they think it can do. All in favor say aye."

A chorus of ayes and nays circled the room and Morrow said, "By a vote of seven to two the Fast Cruiser will be advanced to the next level of design. Captain Suzuki, you are dismissed."

….

Captain Suzuki soon came out into the lounge were Captain Vach was sitting and having some tea. She looked at him as he joined her and asked, "What did the Admiralty say about the Fast Cruiser?"

Suzuki grinned. "I was able to sell the design. It's going into detailed design and analysis. The big question what the ship would actually _do_ in the fleet so the design projections are going to the War College."

Vach said, "Its primary reason is to advance our designs for the next generation of starships; pure and simple."

"The Admiralty would never buy that Vach." said Suzuki with a chuckle. "The War College will figure out a use for an excessively fast, _hot warp_ cruiser, trust me. Whether they can convince Rear Admiral Nogura is another matter entirely."

"Nogura is a staunch conservative." said Vach. "I doubt he would be convinced even _after_ the ship is built."

"You sound like you believe the Fast Cruiser will be built regardless." said Captain Suzuki.

"Far be it from me to speculate but I believe that the War College will support the idea." said Vach. "They will probably discover an unknown use for the design none of us have considered. It is their job to do so you know."

"Good point." said Suzuki.

….

 **Stardate 2272.133 Starfleet Academy, Self Defense Hall**

Naruto was in self defense class practicing with a hand phaser. It was simple enough to aim given how good he was with a bow but somehow hitting all the targets was unsatisfying to the blonde hybrid. ' _A bow or sword gives you a feeling of being one with it. A hand phaser lacks elegance and finesse. Then again it is logical to have a very simple weapon for Starfleet so skilled and unskilled alike can defend themselves_ ….' Naruto suddenly cringed and dropped his weapon.

His friend Shar came over and said, "Naruto, are you alright?!"

Naruto was kneeling but steadied himself. "I sensed something….something beyond comprehension."

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars**

On board the _U.S.S Darwin_ T'lyra and other Vulcans were also struck by a presence they could not define. Within the next hour; Starfleet put out an alert that ' _a psychic presence_ ' was causing disturbances and that telepaths and all races with psionic abilities were considered at risk. T'Lyra soon found herself in sick bay on Mars proper at the Planitia Utopia surface base. She was lying in an examination bed when she came around. In the next bed was a blue eyed blonde that was sitting up in a meditative position.

A doctor came over and said, "Cadet Yamanaka; are you sure you don't want to be sedated?"

Cadet Ino Yamanaka*① pointed at T'Lyra and said in a pained voice, "Engineer's Mate T'Lyra is awake. Please check on her sir."

The doctor sighed and then quickly to T'Lyra. He said, "I'm Doctor Phenil. There was a psychic wave that knocked almost everyone with psionic abilities senseless. We've determined you have no physical injuries to your brain. Can you tell me how you feel? Cadet Yamanaka was watching over you but her mental defenses failed as well. She is a Betazoid."

T'Lyra thought about Naruto and then focused her mind. "I believe that I am uninjured Doctor. Was the origin of this psychic wave hostile?"

"That has yet to be determined." said Ino. "I think it's just overwhelmingly powerful instead of hostile."

Doctor Phenil said, "Let Starfleet worry about that. You ladies just relax and focus on keeping you psyches intact. Engineer T'Lyra, do you recall any thoughts invading your mind?"

T'Lyra weakly shook her head and said, "I thought of my mate Naruto M'Fau and our families back on Vulcan before I was overwhelmed. I must have blacked out then."

"Alright." said the Doctor. "All the others had similar experiences so I would say you are alright. If you need anything call a nurse." He turned to Ino and said, "Yamanaka, you are in no shape to be helping others so _stay put_. If you need something call a nurse."

"Yes sir." said Ino sullenly. The blonde Betazoid turned to T'Lyra and said; "Pardon me for asking but did you say your mate's name is Naruto Emfow?"

T'Lyra said, "Yes, but it is pronounced M'Fau. Why do you ask?"

Ino chuckled weakly, "Sorry but Vulcan names are hard to pronounce. I met a Naruto back on Vulcan several years ago at Vulcana Regar by that name. He was really unusual with blonde hair and cute whisker marks…."

….

 **Planet Vulcan**

Far away on the Planet Vulcan, many Vulcan citizens felt the presence of the entity as well. Spock was undergoing the _kolinahr_ ritual, which teaches one to purge all of their remaining emotions and was nearly finished with his training. He was standing before the lead elder at the temple. She told Spock he has labored long and she prepared to give him a symbol of total logic. The lead elder was about to give him a necklace symbolizing _kolinahr_ when Spock reached out and stopped her….He was clearly disturbed by something….

Puzzled, the lead elder asked for a mind meld to read his thoughts, and Spock complied. She soon said, "This consciousness calling you from space….It touches your human blood Spock." She stated, "You have not achieved _kolinahr_." and she dropped the symbolic necklace to the ground. The lead elder then said to the other elders, "His answer lies elsewhere. He will not achieve his goal with us." Then she bid Spock farewell by saying, "Live long and prosper, Spock." Spock picked up the necklace from the ground and held it in his hand. It didn't take long before he made a decision; he would return to Starfleet….

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars** , ** _U.S.S. Darwin_** **in FRD-15**

Brea Mathuin was worried about her friend T'Lyra but then again everyone was worried in general given the current situation….

" _The_ _U.S.S Enterprise_ _has left to intercept the incoming Cloud_." said the overhead.*② " _The Cloud is on a direct course for planet Earth. No other capital ships are currently available aside of the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _in system_."

Brea let out a sigh. "The _Enterprise_ wasn't scheduled for launch yet….But then again she can move under her own power unlike the _Darwin_. I hope they pull this miracle off…." The dark haired Irish girl thought of her family on Earth.

….

The next forty eight hours were hellish for the people of Earth's Solar System. The cloud slowly shrank and settled into Earth Orbit intent on destroying the carbon based life forms infestation to find its ' _Creator_.' At what was the 11th hour the Cloud completely dissipated leaving the Enterprise floating safely above Earth in orbit. What later become known as the V'Ger Incident had come to a close…." *③

….

 **Stardate 2272.135, Utopia Planitia Surface Base, Planet Mars**

Once the threat of V'Ger had passed everyone with psionic abilities were slowly being cleared to return to active duty. However, in the interim; Ino Yamanaka and T'Lyra Tolaris had become fast friends. "So Naruto is a fast track student at the Academy." said Ino. "Somehow I am not surprised. When I finish my internship here on Mars I'll look him up on Earth. What are the odds of us crossing paths T'Lyra? It must have been a twist of fate."

"The odds of us meeting and both knowing Naruto are impossible to calculate." said T'Lyra. "We should exchange contact information and stay in touch."

Ino's blue eyes twinkled. "That's an excellent idea my new friend. Let me get my tablet and I'll get your contact information put in. Then I'll transmit you mine." Ino was soon entering the data into her tablet and said, "So you live in the heavens above working on the ships in orbit. Zero-G as a constant must get taxing."

T'Lyra said, "Zero-G is something one has to get used to in my line of work. For now I am assigned exclusively to the work on _U.S.S. Darwin_. I spend a great deal of time aboard her in artificial gravity though."

"The _Death Ship Darwin?_ " asked Ino. "I heard most of her crew died of some contamination or infestation."

"I assure you that _U.S.S. Darwin_ is completely safe now Ino." said T'Lyra. "We are completely refitting her to resume fleet duties. It should be another four months assuming no problems occur."

Ino asked curiously, "Will you be staying aboard the _Darwin_ when it's done?"

"At this point anything is possible." answered T'Lyra. "A lot depends on Naruto and where he is stationed. We are mates after all."

"I heard about the regulations for Vulcans and Deltans." said Ino. "I think many races could benefit from such regulations but fraternization can lead to problems as well. It's a psychological gamble I'm afraid."

….

 **Stardate 2272.136 Starfleet Academy, Sick Bay, Planet Earth**

"You have a clean bill of health Cadet Naruto." said his classmate Doctor Shelly Wilson. "Purely from a medical point of view, your hybrid mind is absolutely fascinating. I believe I can safely say that by Vulcan standards you define _Madness to the Method_." She chuckled. "On a personal level I'm glad you are okay."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "While I appreciate your sentiments I believe the human idiom is _method to the madness_ from what I was taught."

Shelly laughed and said, "Believe me when I tell you; in your specific case it is _madness to the method_. The biochemical energy in your system is beyond comprehension for a standard humanoid life form. Next time you get a full physical again I want to get a copy of the results."

….

 **Stardate 2272.138 Starfleet Academy, Simulation Hall, Planet Earth**

Commander Triela Jackson was drilling her students in the classroom rather than the simulation hall for a change. "Today we are going to talk about combat use of standard shuttlecraft by our forces, suicide shuttles and Wild Weasel shuttles. Shar; explain to me what a suicide shuttle is. "

Shar answered. "A suicide shuttle is an unmanned shuttle loaded with an antimatter warhead. It is a seeking weapon that acts similar to a drone. They have a high enough yield to take down a shield but aren't particularly fast. Often they are used against slow moving or stationary targets such as a base."

Commander Jackson nodded. "Very good; explain to me a dummy suicide shuttle Naruto."

"A dummy suicide shuttle can be launched to act as a suicide shuttle but has no warhead." answered Naruto. "Its major use is to draw enemy fire because they suspect it is a suicide shuttle."

"Excellent, these are offensive uses of administrative shuttles." said Triela. "Other offensive uses of shuttles include fighters and scatter-pack shuttles but we currently have few ships capable of using these."*④ The Kzintis and Hydrans are known to use these however. We will cover those subjects in the future. Let's talk about defensive uses of a shuttle such as the Wild Weasel. M'rella, explain to me what a Wild Weasel is."

M'rella jerked to attention and said, "Yes Ma'am. A Wild Weasel is a shuttle equipped with electronics to _appear_ as the launching ship. Its function is to draw away enemy seeking weapons such as drones or plasma torpedoes so the launching ship can be saved from probable destruction."

Triela went on to drill them in the various techniques on using shuttles in combat and saw the gears turning in the heads of the entire _Think Tank_. It was particularly obvious in the case of Samui and Naruto. ' _Hmmm….what are these kids up to_ _ **now**_ _? They've been asking some very specific, very unusual questions about shuttles. I guess I'll let them surprise me_ ….' thought the veteran Commander.

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 125-F**

After lunch in the mess hall everyone gathered in M'rella and Naruto's quarters. Rafi looked at her fellow Cadets and said, "Let _The Think Tank_ jam session begin. We're all thinking along the same lines. How do we use Wild Weasels _offensively?_ "

Samui said, "If they can project the image of a ship to fool electronic sensors then there is no reason why we couldn't rig one to go a step further and project an image to fool their optical sensors as well. The distraction of another ship could change the whole dynamic of a battle."*⑤

Naruto was furiously working on his tablet and M'rella said, "Even if the enemy could be fooled for a minute it could save the original vessel from life or death."

Shar grinned, "How do we make this happen?"

"We put it to the test in a simulator down in the Engineering Hall." said Naruto. "Once we have a working model we put it to a real test against live opponents in the simulator."

"Count on Naruto to come up with a scientific solution." chuckled Rafi. "This could be a real game changer if we ever find ourselves outnumbered."

"Let's get to work." said Samui eagerly….

….

 **Stardate 2272.141**

Naruto was in his quarters and was doing something different from his normal routine. He had contacted Vulcan; specifically the M'Fau Banking and Investment Firm at Vulcana Regar in order to put his money to work for him. Alas, his banking advisor was one of his least favorite cousins, Metana M'Fau.*⑥ He still remembered how brutally the young woman had rejected a possible betrothal and made a huge spectacle of herself. Her last words to him were, " _I want nothing to do with you….ever!_ " Hence Naruto was a bit surprised that she was now his potential _advisor_ of all things.

Her plain but attractive face was on the screen and she gave Naruto the traditional Vulcan salute. "I bid you greetings cousin Naruto." she said rather nervously.

Naruto returned the salute and said without preamble, "Are you sure you wish to handle this account? You expressed your desire to avoid me when we spoke last."

Metana winced slightly and said, "The foolish ramblings of a child should be ignored. We are both adults now….I extend my deepest apologies for my previous behavior. You have become someone very exceptional Naruto M'Fau. I was badly mistaken about you. I would be honored to serve as your advisor."

The blonde decided rolling his eyes at Metana's attempts to play nice wouldn't help and asked, "What can the M'Fau Banking and Investment Firm do for me?"

Metana replied, "The Firm offers extensive financial and investing services, including trading, managed investment and retirement accounts, banking and credit accounts. We offer financial and investment products for both self-directed investors and those who want investment advice. As you are a member of the M'Fau Clan you get a fifty percent deduction in service fees so it is a huge benefit to clan members…."

As Naruto listened to Metana's sales pitch he silently wished T'Lyra was there. She didn't know any more about investing than he did but it was their money combined and Naruto felt she should have a say in it. T'Lyra said she trusted Naruto's judgment on the matter though. The blonde hybrid said to Metana; "I wish to know about two warp engine manufactures and whether or not they are considered good from an investment point of view."

The Vulcan banker raised her eyebrows and said, "That's an unusual investment request. What firms are we talking about?"

Naruto replied, "Shuvinaaljis Warp Technologies*⑦ and Leedings Engines Limited*⑧ are my primary interests. They both make military warp engines as well as civilian ones."

Bring the data up on the screen Metana said, "Shuvinaaljis Warp Technologies is a long established company and has grown steadily over the last fifty years. They would be a good; conservative investment. I will send you the data." She quickly brought up a new screen and said, "Leedings Engines Limited is only fifteen years old but is going through a period of rapid growth. In the last five years they have quadrupled in size. It would be a higher risk but potentially much higher return than Shuvinaaljis Warp Technologies…."

The blonde nodded. "Then let's invest a bit of money in each…."

….

 **Stardate 2272.159 Starfleet Academy, Simulation Hall, Planet Earth**

*** **KOBAYASHI MARU** ***

 _Ship's Log: Stardate 2272.159. Captain Naruto M'Fau commanding the Heavy Cruiser_ _NCC-1704 U.S.S. Yorktown_ _. We are on the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone and have received a distress call from the small freighter_ _S.S. Kobayashi Maru_ _. In spite of the political ramifications it is our duty to render aid to a ship in need so we have violated the Neutral Zone treaty to rescue the freighter. We are not going in blind though. The_ _Yorktown_ _is under red alert and all of our weapons are on standby. We hope no conflict will occur but are ready if it does_ ….

Naruto said, "Weapons status navigation."

"All phasers armed, all four photon torpedoes are being held at maximum overload." said Samui.

"Shar, what is the status of our shuttles?" asked the blonde.

Shar turned from the sciences station and said, "One suicide shuttle at ready, one Wild Weasel and two simulator shuttles at ready."

Naruto looked at his readouts and said, "Tactical." The image of the damaged Kobayashi Maru orbiting a gas giant vanished and was replaced by a computer readout showing diagrams of the two ships and the planet in relation to each other. Naruto said. "Hug the planet and launch the two simulator shuttles. If they turn out unnecessary then we will recover them after we rescue the crew of the freighter." He turned to M'rella at communications and said, "Signal the Kobayashi Maru that we are here to render assistance."

"Aye sir." said M'rella.

"Helm, as soon as the Kobayshi Maru comes in our line of sight bring us alongside her to beam off the crew." said Naruto to Rafi.

Shar exclaimed, "Three Klingon D Hulls approaching! The first one is a D-6. The others are too far away to identify."

"Get the labs on identifying those ships Shar, knowledge is power." said Naruto. "Helm, put us on an intercept course towards that D-6. We have to protect the freighter."

The blonde hybrid said to M'rella, "Communications signal the Klingon ships that our intentions are to only rescue the freighter."

"We are receiving nothing but static sir." said M'rella. "They are jamming long distance communications."

"Klingon vessels are firing at maximum range Captain." said Samui. The _Yorktown_ shook. Number two shield down twelve percent."

"D-6 _Conquest_ identified." said Shar. "The others are the D-6 _Gnasher_ and the D-7 _Thunderer_."

"Bring a strong shield towards the _Conquest_ helm." said Naruto. "Sciences send the signal to activate the two simulator shuttles."

"D-6 _Conquest_ is firing." said Rafi. The _Conquest_ opened fire with her three bow phasers which slammed into the _Yorktown's_ starboard flank shield. "Number three shield down forty percent."

"Bring us around 90 degrees to starboard helm." commanded Naruto. "Fire all weapons narrow salvo at 5,000 kilometers."

Six phasers and four fully overloaded photons streaked into to starboard forward shield of the _Conquest_ with devastating results. The _Conquest_ was a gutted wreck.

As the _Yorktown_ rode out the feedback damage from firing overloaded photons at point blank range; Naruto said, "Excellent shooting Samui. The _Conquest_ is no longer a threat."

Two more Federation " _heavy cruisers"_ cleared the planet. Shar reported, "The _Gnasher_ and the _Thunderer_ are decelerating rapidly. It looks like our simulator shuttles have them fooled for now."

Naruto rapidly fired out the orders. "Helm; bring us alongside the Kobayashi Maru. Drop a facing shield and beam off the survivors as quickly as possible."

"Phasers are cycled sir." reported Samui. "Request permission to finish off the _Conquest_."

"Standby Samui. I don't want the detonation of the D-6 to damage the freighter even if it is slight." said Naruto. "Is the crew of the freighter clear?"

M'rella said, "Twenty seconds….All survivors have been rescued Captain."

"Raise shields." Naruto ordered. He turned to Samui and said, "Finish off the _Conquest_."

Four phasers lashed out and the demolished _Conquest_ ceased to exist. "The _Gnasher_ and _Thunderer_ are withdrawing." reported Shar.

Naruto nodded. "Let's pick up our shuttles and withdraw back into Federation territory."

….

 **Observation Room**

Triela Jackson saw everyone in the observation room go slack jawed as the Artificial Intelligence controlled Klingon vessels withdrew hastily and the _Yorktown_ picked up her two simulator shuttles and retreated in the opposite direction. The always gruff Commander snorted and then started laughing much to everyone's shock. "They beat the Kobayashi Maru! The scenario programmers are going to have a day of mourning over this! Bwahahaha!"

….

 **U.S.S. Yorktown Bridge**

 _The Think Tank_ saw the view screen change from Federation space to "SIMULATION ENDED." and everyone relaxed.

Samui asked humorously, "So Captain Naruto; do you think we just started a war with the Klingon Empire?"

Naruto said, "Logically I'd say yes. We violated the treaty of the Neutral Zone and destroyed a Klingon heavy cruiser in the process."

"The Klingons fired first and we destroyed the _Conquest_ in self defense." said Rafi. "Our actions were totally justified."

Shar commented, "It would be up to the diplomats to decide who was right or wrong."

M'rella nodded. "The main thing is we saved the lives of those on the freighter." She smiled. "I think we did the right thing regardless."

The _Yorktown's_ 'airlock' opened and Commander Jackson entered. "Enough chatter. Let's head to the classroom people."

….

Jackson was pacing back and forth across the classroom with her hands clasped behind her back. "Hmmm….So the five of you put your heads together and came up with an electronic _simulation shuttle_ in the last three weeks….You all decided that using Wild Weasel technology for offensive purposes was a good idea and subsequently took it upon yourselves to develop it in secret….Hmmm…."

Jackson glared at _The Think Tank_ and said through narrowed eyes, "Well; all I have to say on the matter is…. _EXCELLENT!_ To have beaten the Kobayashi Maru legally is _OUTSTANDING!_ "

Everyone's eyes were wide in shock. To have their Commander lavish such praise on them was unheard of! (Even Naruto was bug eyed at how illogical the situation seemed).

Samui raised her hand and asked, "What do you mean by _legally_ Ma'am? It was beaten before."

Triela chuckled and said, "It was beaten by my old friend Rear Admiral James T. Kirk because he hacked the program so he could win. He got a commendation for it. No one else has ever beaten it. You five did by using innovation. You outthought and outfought the AI and won in a completely unorthodox but plausible way. There is no reason that simulation couldn't have worked in a real life situation. You all did very well and I commend you for it. I have a feeling some of the top brass is going to get involved in this so make sure you keep your behavior exemplary for a while."

….

 **Mess Hall**

The whole Mess Hall was buzzing with the news that _somebody_ beat the Kobayashi Maru. _The Think Tank_ wondered how the news got out since they just got out of class and had agreed not to tell a soul until further notice. As usual they were between the Third Years of Joseph Kirov's group and the Fourth Years whose leader was Jackie Nodaway. The Fourth Years were whispering loudly among themselves, "Who do you think pulled it off?"

"I have no idea but I think it's great." said a male.

Jackie said, "There are about twenty groups in simulator rotation so we could use the process of elimination."

Another said, "Well, we weren't in the simulator today and Kirov's group would fail regardless…."

"….Not to mention Kirov would be referring to himself as _Admiral_ by now." said another young woman.

 _The Think Tank_ was quietly eating as the Fourth Year's conversation drifted over them.

' _We'd best not draw attention to ourselves_.' thought Shar.

Rafi thought, ' _Here we are with bragging rights but Samui is right. It's best to keep this under wraps_.'

M'rella felt happiness in the air coming from the Fourth Years but the Third Years didn't seem happy at all and seemed to be glaring at everybody. ' _Do they know it was us?_ '

Kirov said, "That test is impossible! There's no way it could be beaten. Whoever did it must have cheated somehow."

The Third Years had a dark, angry cloud above their table….

Samui thought, ' _We beat it fair and square. Who are they to judge us?_ '

Naruto was thinking of ways to silence the loudmouthed Kirov forever when someone marched up to the table. She said in a commanding voice, "You five; I'm Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko. Come with me."

….

 _The Think Tank_ was trotting at a quick pace through the Starfleet Academy Campus to the Headquarters Building as they followed the red uniform wearing Lieutenant Nadeshiko. They soon came to the realization that they were headed to meet Admiral Harold Pye; the Academy Commandant. They lined up at attention at Shizuka's order and waited to be summoned.

….

 **Admiral Harold Pye's Office**

"The five Cadets are here per your orders sir." said Shizuka crisply.

Pye smiled and said, "You could have let them finish their lunch before you kidnapped them Lieutenant. This isn't an emergency situation you know."

Shizuka said, "Your time is much more valuable than that of five Cadets."

The elderly Admiral propped his chin in his hand and said, "As I recall it wasn't so long ago that you graduated as the top Cadet in your Class Shizuka Nadeshiko." (She blushed slightly). "Show the five of them in. It was a group effort and I want to address them as a group."

Shizuka paused and Admiral Pye asked, "Yes Lieutenant?"

"Did they really beat the Kobayashi Maru scenario?" she asked. "My crew and I were crushed so badly that we were mortified and embarrassed for weeks."

He chuckled and said, "When you bring them in I'll let you stay and watch as I evaluate their performance for myself. I think you'll find it as enlightening as I did when I watched the first time. Let's just say they live up to the name _The Think Tank_."

….

Shizuka came out and said, "Admiral Pye is ready to see the five of you so be on your best behavior. Let's go."

Naruto couldn't help but notice the rather beautiful Vulcan Security Officer openly displayed emotions. ' _Is she an emotionalist? She acts very regimented if that is the case. How puzzling_.'

Lieutenant Nadshiko marched the five in and said "Attent-shun!" as the door slid shut behind them.

Admiral Pye smiled warmly and said, "At ease Cadets. Please be seated. I want to review your performance on the Kobayashi Maru from earlier today. You'll be seeing things from the point of view of your instructors."

The lights dimmed and a large screen lit up on the side of the room and all turned to face it from their chairs.

….

Naruto noted he looked very clinical in the images as they shot by. Seeing himself and the others on screen was rather unnerving. " _Ship's Log: Stardate 2272.159. Captain Naruto M'Fau commanding the Heavy Cruiser_ _NCC-1704 U.S.S. Yorktown_ _…."_

As they watched each of the Cadets noticed weaknesses in their performance….at least until the battle started. When the _Yorktown_ engaged the _Conquest_ the crew looked confident, commanding and even a little intimidating.

Samui watched herself on screen as she wrecked the _Conquest_ at point blank range. She noticed her own ice blue eyes were completely focused as she fired. " _Excellent shooting Samui. The_ _Conquest_ _is no longer a threat_." echoed Naruto's voice in her head.

' _I look good on screen_.' thought Rafi. The Trill watched as the _Yorktown_ responded smoothly to her commands and the grim smile on her face as they closed for action.

Much to his relief Shar saw he performed well. He remembered being glad he didn't have to rapidly fire out commands like Samui and Naruto could under pressure. ' _I don't even look nervous once we're in action_.' he thought feeling a bit of confidence in himself.

M'rella watched herself as she coordinated with the Kobayashi Maru and evacuated the freighter's crew like clockwork. " _Twenty seconds….All survivors have been rescued Captain_." The beautiful Caitian girl resisted the urge to cheer at the image on screen as the Klingon Cruisers withdrew rapidly.

….

Admiral Pye said, "Lights on." and everyone blinked as the room's lights changed back to normal. The Admiral smiled and said, "So which one of you Cadets came up with the idea for _simulator shuttles_ first?

Samui raised her hand and the Admiral nodded, "Yes Cadet Schrodinger?"

"We always meet up after classes to swap ideas." said Samui. "All of us wanted to figure out how to configure a Wild Weasel shuttle for offensive purposes and after discussing things we came up with the simulator shuttle idea."

"So your group always has these meetings outside of class hours?" asked the elderly Admiral. "Speak freely."

Rafi eagerly answered, "Yes sir. Our _jam sessions_ are where our best ideas come from."

"Jam sessions?" asked Shizuka. "You mean like a band?"

Shar nodded. "That is exactly the philosophy we use. It is a completely open forum that we invite other classmates into from time to time."

M'rella said in a purring tone, "Cooperation and creativity are very much our goals."

Admiral Pye asked, "So when you invite others, are they from your fast track group?"

"Yes sir." answered Naruto. "There are four groups within our fast track class; Engineering, Sciences, Medical and our group; Command. We sometimes sit in on their meetings as well. It helps our group to stay cohesive."

"And by simply throwing ideas around in an open forum you've come up with the simulator shuttle idea?" asked Shizuka.

Samui replied, "Yes; since it is successful in the simulator our sciences and engineering teams are also working on the idea to make it better. The design as it is….we only had three weeks so it is rather primitive."

The Admiral chuckled and said, "It allowed you to defeat some of the best artificial intelligence in Starfleet."

"We will make it even better." said Rafi in a confident tone.

Admiral Pye slapped his hand on his desk and said; "This is what I want to see in my Cadets; confidence and the desire to succeed." He turned to his Security Officer. "Shizuka, I want you to supervise _The Think Tank_ and get them what they need to make a working demonstrator of a simulator shuttle." He turned back to the Cadets and said, "You have six weeks including parts procurement. Make it happen."

"Yes, SIR!" answered the Cadets.

….

After the Cadets were escorted out by a Junior Officer, Shizuka said, "Sir; I respect your judgment of course b-"

"Why did I pick you Lieutenant Nadeshiko?" asked the Admiral with a twinkle in his eye. "You're in a rut Shizuka. You do a superlative job as my bodyguard but you are capable of so much more. The _Darwin_ incident was a tragedy but you're too young to stay in the past. It's time to move on. I think you might actually enjoy this assignment. It's obvious that they are young but you saw what they were like in the Kobayashi Maru. Hell, Cadet Samui Schrodinger and Cadet Naruto both exhibit the qualities of outstanding command material. Cadet Rafi handled that cruiser like a veteran and the other two aren't that far behind.

The Admiral slapped his desk again to get across his point. "Train and shape those kids Shizuka. Show them how it's done. But learn from them too. You're young as well. See what these ' _jam sessions_ ' are like. You're way too young to be here at headquarters counting down to retirement. I see it in your eyes. You want to sail the stars again. It's time to go out there and live a little. Consider this assignment your first step towards recovery Lieutenant."

Shizuka sniffled a bit and said, "Thank you sir."

Admiral Pye gave a warm smile and said, "Anytime Shizuka."

After Shizuka left Admiral Pye face palmed. "Damn, I was going to give those Cadets a formal Commendation. I got so excited about simulator shuttles and everything else that I forgot all about it…. _It sucks getting old_ …."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*①Remember Ino Yamanaka? See chapter 4 for our favorite Betazoid's introduction.

*②This is the V'Ger Incident as seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

*③I could have gone into a great deal more detail here but it's much better to watch the movie.

*④This takes place about five years before carriers and drone rack refits became widespread through the Federation fleet.

*⑤They did something similar to this in Star Trek: TNG without a shuttlecraft. It was in the episode " _Peak Performance"_ with _NCC-2593 U.S.S Hathaway_ and _NCC-1701-D Enterprise_ playing a war game.

*⑥Metana was one of Naruto's attempted betrothals that kind of blew up in his face. See chapter 4.

*⑦Shuvinaaljis Warp Technologies: Manufacturer of the Enterprise's original engines from the show.

*⑧Leedings Engines Limited: Manufacturer of the Enterprise's refit engines from the movies.

Egad! The footnotes are back with a vengeance I'm afraid. Does everyone like the new numbered footnote style or should I go back to just asterisks? I hope everyone enjoyed the Kobayashi Maru Scenario; there will be more repercussions about it down the line. Ino finally reappeared this chapter and Shizuka has finally met _The Think Tank_ with a new project to do. And Naruto is investing in something he sees a lot of future in: Warp Engine Technology. What will come of that? Lastly, the Fast Cruiser design is going to to next level. What will the War College come up with? See you next time. Blue out. 5/23/17


	18. Chapter 18

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide** _

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I've been job hunting lately so it's been hard to focus on stories. Updates on all my stuff have been infrequent as a result. Here is chapter 18. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

Last time:

 _After the Cadets were escorted out by a Junior Officer, Shizuka said, "Sir; I respect your judgment of course b-"_

 _"Why did I pick you Lieutenant Nadeshiko?" asked the Admiral with a twinkle in his eye. "You're in a rut Shizuka. You do a superlative job as my bodyguard but you are capable of so much more. The_ _Darwin_ _incident was a tragedy but you're too young to stay in the past. It's time to move on. I think you might actually enjoy this assignment. It's obvious that they are young but you saw what they were like in the Kobayashi Maru. Hell, Cadet Samui Schrodinger and Cadet Naruto both exhibit the qualities of outstanding command material. Cadet Rafi handled that cruiser like a veteran and the other two aren't that far behind._

 _The Admiral slapped his desk again to get across his point. "Train and shape those kids Shizuka. Show them how it's done. But learn from them too. You're young as well. See what these '_ _jam sessions_ _' are like. You're way too young to be here at headquarters counting down to retirement. I see it in your eyes. You want to sail the stars again. It's time to go out there and live a little. Consider this assignment your first step towards recovery Lieutenant."_

 _Shizuka sniffled a bit and said, "Thank you sir."_

 _Admiral Pye gave a warm smile and said, "Anytime Shizuka."_

 _After Shizuka left Admiral Pye face palmed. "Damn, I was going to give those Cadets a formal Commendation. I got so excited about simulator shuttles and everything else that I forgot all about it…._ _It sucks getting old…._ _"_

 _…._

Chapter 18

 **Stardate 2272.161, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko was sitting in on a ' _jam session_ ' between the command team and a few members from the engineering team of the _Think Tank_. Shizuka was highly intelligent but was totally lost at the level of specialization the cadets were talking on. The big Orion Kloene from the engineering group said, "It sounds like a serious problem for a shuttle's warp engines to sustain the simulation from more than a few minutes. There is a finite amount of power you know."

Samui nodded. "That is one of the many reasons we wanted your input."

Another engineer said, "What about a dedicated Electronics Warfare platform to use instead of a standard shuttle being modified?"

"We considered that." said Naruto. "The problem is shuttle bay capacity. Smaller ships with tiny shuttle bays couldn't afford to give up their standard shuttles for a dedicated EW platform. It might be possible for larger ships but how many peacetime Captains are going to want part of their shuttle bay committed exclusively to wartime use?"

Shar added, "We also have to consider the civilians involved in funding what could possibly be termed as a new _weapon_. A shuttle modification wouldn't ruffle as many feathers to use a human phrase."

Shizuka listened to the group banter back and forth and realized that the forum really _was_ completely open. Both groups suggested and debated numerous ideas she hadn't even imagined. ' _These kids are ten steps ahead in the game. The really are a_ _Think Tank_.'

"Clearly we need more data." said M'rella. "We need to get the sciences team involved as well."

Kloene nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll get the engineering team to work on a more efficient power transfer system from the warp engines. Running the electronics more efficiently should be something the sciences team can accomplish."

Everyone agreed to that motion and soon filed out to do their own homework assignments.

Shizuka was impressed. ' _Even when there was a major disagreement they worked it out in a level headed and professional manner_.' She made a few notes in her tablet and thought to herself, ' _If the Admiralty's Staff meetings went this smoothly a hell of a lot more would be accomplished_.'

….

Shizuka was talking with Samui and Rafi as they went down to requisition a standard administrative shuttle from maintenance for the prototype conversion. "So what do you guys do to relax? It seems like you all are always working overtime. Most cadets spend their off hours fraternizing or partying. I know I did."

"We don't have that luxury." said Samui seriously. "We have to squeeze four years worth of training into two years so we don't have much down time."

Rafi shrugged. "We go to the seasonal parties but there isn't much else. I tried partying but we're too damn busy completing our degrees and stuff. I'm completing my Doctoral degree in Astronavigation."

"Why aren't you in sciences then Rafi?" asked Shizuka confused.

Rafi shrugged. "Starfleet put me in the command track. They really didn't give me a choice. Same goes for Samui; she's a Doctor of Cosmology and Astronomy from Cambridge."

' _I'm surrounded by geniuses_.' lamented Shizuka. ' _I have a Masters Degree but it's in Physical Education and the Martial Arts_ ….'

….

 **Stardate 2272.169, Combat Training Grounds, Starfleet Academy  
**

The entire _Think Tank_ was gathered for Combat Survival Training. For the past week they had been working on the simulator shuttle at the orders of Admiral Pye when their survival course instructor Lieutenant Franz decided they needed to learn what it was like to fight in the field against real, living opponents. Their hand to hand combat instructor Lieutenant Jenny Kaufmann protested that they weren't ready yet but Franz was running the show….

"….Is it just me or does it seem that Lieutenant Franz is holding a grudge about our desert survival training?" asked Shar. "Our opponents are **_Marine_** Officer Candidates for god's sake. Of course we're going to get clobbered."

Rafi growled, "Of course the sadist is holding a grudge. We outsmarted Franz and he wants to punish us for making him look bad. On top of that only about a third of us are proficient at hand to hand combat for this. Lieutenant Kaufmann said so."

The group was looking over the map of the 'fort' they were supposed to defend against the Marine Candidates. Samui said, "We are armed with hand phasers and phaser rifles set to a maximum of stun. We also have stun grenades and launchers. To win we have to hold this fort for twenty four hours. What's worse is the Marines have already been through multiple simulations. We are completely green."

"All those Marines looked big and intimidating." said M'rella. "I _really_ do not wish to fight them."

Naruto sat looking over the map looking for a logical solution. ' _I have no doubt that our opponents aren't going to take it easy on us. Franz probably_ _ **wants**_ _to see us beat up badly_.' He sighed. ' _We are organized into five teams of four with each group defending a corner of this square fortress except the central command team that will back up the others. My Team is Shelly Wilson, M'rella, my Orion friend Kloene and myself. Kloene is proficient in hand to hand combat and M'rella is a superb shot with a phaser. Shelly is kind of a liability in close combat and her aim is in the fiftieth percentile. We'll have to protect her._ '

Kloene patted Shelly's shoulder and said, "Just do your best Wilson. Naruto is leading us in Team 1 so we'll be okay."

Naruto turned on his communicator and said, "Team 1 to command, we are in position."

They heard Rafi's agitated voice. "Team 3 is in position. Let's give them a bloody lip."

"Team 2 is ready." said Samui in a steely tone.

Shar's trembling voice rang over the com units. "This is Shar. Team 4 is as ready as we'll ever be. We are in position."

"This is Leatta in charge of Command Team 5. We are ready to coordinate with the other teams…."

….

 _Forty-five minutes later_ ….

"They've breached the wall!" yelled Samui. "Prepare for hand to hand Team 2!" The first Marine around the corner was hit with a brutal uppercut from the blonde augment girl and he went stumbling back in pain. She hit him hard enough to knock his helmet off and it knocked him unconscious when he hit the floor.

Another member of Team 2 rapidly threw a stun grenade into the breach to stop the onslaught. Unfortunately he was cut down by phaser fire in return. Samui rolled out low to the floor and sprayed the hallway down with phaser fire as she continued to roll to the opposite side of the breach.

Team 2 was (barely) holding their own….

….

….Naruto was the only one left standing on Team 1 thanks to a well placed stun grenade from the Marines. ' _Damn_.' he thought. ' _I'd best stay concealed_.' Naruto saw his opponents come in carefully and one of them kicked M'rella _hard_ in the ribs while she was still unconscious. She let out a gasp and coughed.

"Damn man." said one of the Marines. "You didn't have to kick her Sammy."

"Lieutenant Franz said to beat them down and teach them a lesson so that's what I'm doing." said the now named Sammy. " _I'm just_ _following orders_." he added with a laugh.

….A chakra coated fist sent Sammy through the wall behind him with the force of a speeding train. The remaining members of Sammy's Team felt a massive killing intent as Naruto's angry eyes crackled with blue chakra energy….

….

….An hour later the Marines took the 'fort;' but in the process they lost seventeen of their twenty members due to the fanatical/suicidal tactics of the _Think Tank_. At best it was a pyrrhic victory. The only ones still standing on the _Think Tank's_ side were Naruto and Samui who had a much higher resistance to damage than the others. For Naruto it was the first time he'd truly unleashed his powers as a shinobi even if it was non-lethal. For Samui it was a matter of powering her way through the opposition. The Marine team of three that actually captured the base completely avoided ground combat and slipped in through the roof. Leatta's team all 'died' from a stun grenade dropped in through the hole in the ceiling the marines made above them….

….

 **Stardate 2272.170, Combat Training Sick Bay, Starfleet Academy**

"That blonde whisker-faced son-of-a-bitch took out eight of my men by himself and technically 'survived' the battle." said Marine Officer Candidate Scarlet Terrill. She was a petite human woman with wavy light brown hair. "I think I'm in love. What the hell is he doing in the _Navy?_ "

Her superior Captain Omar Jameson growled, "I'm going to kill Franz for this farce. I can't believe he ordered your group behind my back to cause unnecessary injuries in a training exercise. All but four members of the _Think Tank_ are hospitalized and eleven of our own are hospitalized as well. This has been a training disaster!" Omar smashed his fist in an open palm. "Terrill, as our lead Officer Candidate I'm putting you on watch over the injured in sick bay. Break up any unnecessary fights."

"Yes, sir!" said Scarlet with a crisp salute.

….

Naruto was sitting in the lounge of the Combat Training Sick Bay. He'd heard the many doctors and nurses talking about the appalling amount of injuries involved and how shocked they were. " _Injuries are inevitable with combat training but 67% is unheard of! What the hell happened out there?!_ " asked one doctor. His thoughts were echoed by the entire medical staff.

Naruto was sitting out in the lounge. ' _I truly lost my temper but it felt like the appropriate thing to do_.' The blonde hybrid sipped on some tea and sighed. ' _Sixteen of my colleagues are badly hurt. M'rella has broken ribs. I don't know what to do. Marine Captain Omar Jameson said that no charges were going to be pressed against the trainees but I still feel I should have handled things more logically_.'

An enthused female voice broke Naruto out of his brooding. "So where did you learn to fight like that handsome?" The blonde looked up and saw the smiling visage of Scarlet Terrill. She held out a hand to shake. "I'm Marine Officer Candidate Scarlet Terrill. What's your name?"

"I'm Cadet Naruto M'Fau." replied the hybrid as he shook her hand. "In answer to your question; I was trained in the martial arts by my Father and Mother on Vulcan."

Terrill looked at Naruto's ears and asked, "You are a Vulcan? I mean; you've got the ears but I've never seen a blonde Vulcan before."

Naruto wanted to sigh but quickly explained his situation. "I'm a hybrid. I am half Vulcan and half humanoid."

She laughed. "You sure put the hurts on Sammy Samuelson when you punched him through that wall."

"He assaulted one of my teammates when she was already down." said Naruto. "I couldn't stand by and let that happen."

Scarlet grinned. "I'll have you know you're a hell of a fighting machine. Captain Jameson was really impressed at how many people you wrecked. Are you going into security?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm in the Command track." He unzipped his combat jacket and showed his gold uniform shirt.

"I'm in the command track myself." Scarlet said enthused. "Maybe we'll end up serving together someday. –Say; you want to go out drinking after we get off duty? I'm free tonight."

The blonde hybrid sighed. "I thank you for your kind offer but I'm afraid I am on duty watching over my comrades."

She smiled. "Maybe next time then Naruto. Look me up sometime!"

….

 **Stardate 2272.177, Primary Spaceport, Starfleet Academy**

A week later the still aching members of the _Think Tank_ were working on the simulator shuttle as a group under Shizuka Nadeshiko's watchful eye. She'd been furious about what happened in combat training but the members of the _Think Tank_ took it in stride. Lieutenant Franz had been very subdued since the training took place and rumors had it that Marine Captain Jameson wanted to bring Franz up on charges….nobody really knew the truth of the matter though.

As it was the first ground test of the simulator shuttle was going well and the shuttle was portraying a landed Federation Express Transport. Scans from orbit and on the ground simply showed an express transport readying for takeoff. Naruto was pleased to see their brainchild was performing optimally for ten minutes before they shut it down.

Kloene's voice crackled over the communicator. "Everything is successfully shut down. Engineering team; let's get the system recorders and see how it did." The five members of the engineering team quickly moved in and took out the black boxes to examine. It wasn't long before all the members of the Think Tank were pouring over the data.

For her part Shizuka was quite pleased though the cadets seemed to be grumbling among themselves about a power coupling failure. She saw Naruto addressing the sciences team. "It is just as we predicted. A standard power coupling between the transmitter and the projector unit was unsatisfactory and overheated. It's logical to construct something specifically to suit our purposes."

Lieutenant Nadeshiko asked, "What is the problem Cadet Naruto?"

Naruto said, "Our goal to use common parts in Starfleet's inventory to save on expenses is proving difficult. We need to once again create new pieces exclusively for this project."

Shizuka grinned at the grouchy Cadets. ' _What a group of perfectionists_.' "Technically this test _was_ a success though. It proves the basic theory works doesn't it? Isn't that worth celebrating?"

….

 **Admiral Harold Pye's Office**

Lieutenant Nadeshiko was reporting in to Admiral Pye that evening. "….And they seem quite disappointed in the results and said they would redouble their efforts."

Admiral Pye chuckled. "Spacedock from orbit said that only after extensive work in the labs could they tell something was even _amiss_ with the simulated transport. They had the luxury of sitting back and going over the readings for hours. This is a resounding success! No ship would have time to do that in a combat situation. For a preliminary report I couldn't be more pleased. Bravo Zulu.*① Pass that along to them."

Shizuka smiled. "Will do sir. I think that might lift their spirits a bit."

"Good." Said the elderly Admiral. "You seem to be in better spirits yourself Shizuka. What do you think of these kids? –Off the record of course."

Shizuka scratched her chin and said, "Off the record? Frankly they are amazing. I've never seen a group so hard working and determined to succeed. I just don't want them to burn themselves out."

….

 **Stardate 2272.185, Primary Spaceport, Starfleet Academy**

After three more ground tests the _Think Tank_ finally declared the simulator shuttle prototype was ready for Phase II -spaceborne testing. The Admiralty cleared them after seeing the results from the Spacedock's sensors but there were still bugs to be worked out so Phase II was delayed. The simulator shuttle was flown remotely up to the frigate _NCC-330 U.S.S. Rickover_ for testing….

Naruto was _not_ pleased with the situation. "It's only logical that we should be present on the _Rickover_ given we know how to operate the simulator shuttle. If there is a technical problem it would be much simpler for us to solve it."

There was a great deal of grumbling among the cadets until Nadeshiko spoke up. "Quiet! Have faith in your future colleagues. Someday you may be serving alongside them."

Soon there were (apparently) two _Rickovers_ in orbit near the Spacedock. The scout _NCC-585 Hermes_ exited the dock and activated its special sensors to identify which was the _Rickover_ and which was the simulator shuttle. After 20 minutes of intense scanning the simulator shuttle burned out due to the power load being exceeded. Up to that point the _Hermes_ was unable to determine which one was the real frigate.

In orbit the crews of the ships were eagerly transmitting what fantastic results the test yielded. On the ground in the viewing room every member of the _Think Tank_ was standing with their jaws dropped at the sight of their "baby" going up in a ball of fire. ' _We told them ten minutes maximum!_ ' was the anguished thought on their collective minds….

….

 **Stardate 2272.192, Central Auditorium, Starfleet Academy**

The Close of the Semester Ceremonies was going on and the entire _Think Tank_ was standing at attention in their dress uniforms. They were being addressed by a Captain Schultz from the Academy which they had never heard of or had seen before. She said, "….So the second prototype is going to be built by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers so you may continue your studies as future officers. Every member of the Fast Track class is receiving an official commendation by Starfleet Command and the five members in the command group are receiving an additional commendation from Admiral Pye for defeating the Kobayashi Maru through a superior display of skill. Congratulations!"

There was a polite clapping among the student body but the _Think Tank_ collectively felt rather mutinous seeing the project they worked so hard on was ripped from their proverbial hands….The rest of the Close of the Semester Ceremonies involved largely shot past them….

….

 **Stardate 2272.194, Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 125-F**

Naruto and M'rella were packing their things for the semester break. "So you are going home as well over the month break M'rella?" asked Naruto.

"Hmmm." she purred. "Yes; I am going home to visit my family on Cait. What about you?"

"I plan to go back to Vulcan once T'Lyra's leave is approved." said the blonde hybrid. "I need to get away from the Academy for a bit."

"We all feel that way after what Starfleet Command did with the simulator shuttle." said M'rella. She gave Naruto a quick kiss and giggled at the shocked look in his eyes. "See you in a month Naruto." said the Caitian beauty. She quickly left with some extra sway in her hips….

For his part Naruto was just dumbfounded….

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars, Fleet Repair Dock 15**

T'Lyra was packing her things for her trip home to Vulcan. ' _Naruto will be here in just a couple of hours. An entire month at home on Vulcan is going to be wonderful. I'm glad I saved up my shore leave time to see our families_.' She closed her travel case and checked the time. ' _I should change into my Tolaris family robes from my work uniform_.' Soon T'Lyra had her hair up in her traditional ponytail and her blue robes on. She'd taken a shower and was quietly reading a Starfleet Mechanical Magazine on her tablet as she waited for her mate to arrive.

….

 **Shuttle Bay**

Naruto arrived an hour later wearing his crimson M'Fau robes and stepped out onto the platform at FRD-15 where he showed his Starfleet identification to come aboard. After passing through the security checks Naruto used the directory to make his way to T'Lyra's quarters she shared with her friend Brea Mathuin. Though he'd never been on an FRD he found the arrangements to be quite logical and easily found T'Lyra's quarters. Ringing the door chime he was soon greeted by his beautiful mate T'Lyra. They immediately touched fingers affectionately. Naruto sighed in bliss at the warm feelings travelling through his body as T'Lyra did the same.

The blonde whispered, "I have missed you my mate. It has been too long that we have been apart."

T'Lyra felt Naruto's warmth through their bond and replied, "I have missed you every day my love. Please come in…."

….

90 minutes later the young couple emerged from the shower together. They simply hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other after so long. T'Lyra had a very sultry, contented look in her eyes as she put her blue robes back on. The two kissed passionately again and then Naruto got dressed as well.

T'Lyra came out of the bathroom just as Brea got off duty and came in. The young Irish woman said, "I'm surprised you're still here T'Lyra. I thought you'd already be planet side by now."

"Naruto came to pick me up." explained T'Lyra. "He's finishing up in the shower."

Brea nodded. "It's always good to be clean before a long trip. Some transports aren't as sanitary as others. How many days to Vulcan?"

"It is four days to 40 Eridani A." said T'Lyra. "We'll probably have a meal and be off within an hour."

Naruto came out of the shower feeling nice and refreshed. He gave the Vulcan salute to Brea. "I bid you greetings Crewman Mathuin."

The dark haired girl sweat dropped. "Just call me Brea off duty. You don't have to be so formal." She then returned his salute. "It's nice to see you again."

"It is good to see you as well Brea." replied Naruto.

Brea smiled. "Well, if you two will excuse me I'm going to shower off myself."

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Planet Mars**

After beaming down to the surface to await their ship, Naruto and T'Lyra were in the spaceport lobby awaiting a Vulcan Transport Liner name _S.S. Sunrise_. The young couple soon boarded and found it was neat and clean but a bit Spartan. It was definitely very Vulcan and almost everyone aboard was of Vulcan descent….

 _Personal Log: Stardate 2272.198: T'Lyra and I have had a pleasant trip aboard the_ _Sunrise_ _. The food is native Vulcan and much better than the food I've grown used to on Terra. Half of the passengers seem to be Starfleet personnel returning to Vulcan. As my mate and I have spent most of the trip in of cabin we have not interacted much with the other passengers. On an unconnected note I now believe the rumors that my younger sister Talok was conceived in the back seat of the family speeder is probably true. Before I was with T'Lyra I would never have believed such a thing was factual_ ….

….

 **Stardate 2272.199** **,** **Planet Vulcan, City of ShikHar, Vulcan Space Central**

T'Lyra and Naruto stepped off the _S.S. Sunrise_ into the stifling heat and heavier gravity of Vulcan and it felt wonderful to the young couple. After going through the immigration terminal they were welcomed to Vulcan. T'Lyra inhaled the hot Vulcan air and said to her mate, "It is hard to believe it's been almost nine months since we have been here at home."

"It has been too long since we felt the warmth of our own sun." said Naruto in agreement. "Let's go to the terminal and wait for my parents. They should be here soon."

About that time Naruto's personal communicator came to life. It was his Father Sovar. They soon met up at the entrance and saw the M'Fau family speeder parked there. Sovar gave them the traditional Vulcan salute and said, "Peace and long life my son and daughter in law. Welcome home."

Returning the salute, Naruto loaded up their travel bags and T'Lyra talked with her Father in law. "It is so good to see you Father Sovar. We have missed you."

Sovar helped Naruto load up the bags and replied, "Both of you have been missed. Talok wanted to skip school to come out and greet you with me but could not justify it logically. T'Ara is at the Vulcan Science Academy giving a seminar. She will meet up with us later. Your parents send their greetings T'Lyra. They are at a town meeting. Let us depart for home."

Naruto and T'Lyra listened to Sovar as he spoke about the goings on while they had been away. The trip through ShikHar City to the opposite side of town where the M'Fau residence was a pleasant one. "Things are just as I remember them." quipped T'Lyra. "I can't wait to see everyone."

Naruto watched the scenery go by. "I have missed everyone as well. I'm sure Talok has grown taller in the time we've been away."

Sovar nodded. "You've both grown more mature while you've been away. I can tell. You both look well. We'll have to do some sparring to see if you've been practicing…."

Naruto hid a grin. "It will be good to spar against a real opponent in Kareel-ifla. The fast track students with me are generally not martial artists though there are exceptions of course." ' _Samui is a very strong opponent_.' He thought as he pondered the beautiful augment girl.

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Sovar pulled up into the driveway at the M'Fau family residence and Naruto hopped out of the hovercraft and stretched. "I have missed this place." he said.

"So what are you two intending to do over your break?" asked Sovar as he helped the couple unload their things. "You have a month to relax and see everyone."

"We were considering going to tour the Path of Enlightenment*② and the P'Tranek Monastery*③ around Lake Yuron since neither of us have ever been there." replied T'Lyra. "We might go hiking around the area as well."

The blonde hybrid nodded in agreement and said. "We'll also be going to Vulcana Regar to see cousin Metana M'Fau about managing our investments."

Sovar sighed. "I hope it goes better than the last time you met face to face with her."

T'Lyra frowned slightly. "Naruto told me about that disaster. It sounds like she was a rather vulgar child."

Naruto had a minimal smile on his face. "She has matured since then….or at least acts like it."

….

T'Ara soon made it home and greeted Naruto and T'Lyra warmly. "Look at the two of you all grown up. I am so pleased to see you both looking so well. Talok will be home soon. She has been looking forward to seeing you and hearing about your adventures in space."

"Mother, we have missed you all so much." said Naruto….

….

 **Lake Yuron**

 _Personal Log: Stardate 2272.202: Our stay at home in Shikhar and seeing our families and friends has been a wonderful respite from the demands of our duties in Starfleet. Though it was unintentional on our part T'Lyra and I arrived at Lake Yuron during the uxhaya wak-krus festival*④ so the area is very busy with offworlders and Vulcans alike. I never attended the festival during my years at the Vulcan Science Academy as I was too busy with my studies but T'Lyra is curious about it so we will stop and see what the festival is all about_ ….

….

Naruto and T'Lyra strolled along the Eridani Beach watching the musical festivities when Naruto realized something and had to resist the urge to face palm. "What are all these Starfleet Cadets doing here?" asked Naruto under his breath. "I came home to get _away_ from the Academy."

T'Lyra raised her eyebrows. "You know all these people Naruto?"

The blonde shook his head. "I know their faces but I don't see any classmates." Then he saw a certain Orion girl in a tiny bikini. Naruto held back a groan and said, "Well, I do know Leatta."

Two Cadets broke out in a fight over a woman and tumbled out into the sand disrupting everything. "What the hell?!" yelled another over the music as the two humans duked it out.

One of the men threw a punch and nearly hit T'Lyra by accident. Naruto pulled his mate clear and she saw the anger in his eyes at the two brawlers. "I will put an end to this." growled the blonde.

Naruto grabbed the young man that nearly punched T'Lyra and chopped him in the neck which rendered him unconscious. The other man ended up knocked out an instant later from a Vulcan nerve pinch. Naruto moved so fast via body flicker that no one save T'Lyra knew what happened. The blonde Vulcan _really_ wanted to beat the stuffing out of the two fools for ruining his peaceful time with his mate but logically he knew in this case that violence would solve nothing. "Only humans…." muttered Naruto.

The music was still playing and T'Lyra gently squeezed Naruto's hand with her own which made him relax. Naruto returned her squeeze and gave her a minimal smile.

"My Naruto, I had no idea you were so strong." said a woman's voice over the music. It was Naruto's Orion classmate Leatta. She smiled and said flirtatiously. "I guess since you knocked out my two wannabe suitors that you can dance with me instead."

The blonde suddenly felt so much killing intent from T'Lyra that it was like being in a war zone. Naruto raised an eyebrow as his lovely mate bared her proverbial fangs and said, "My husband and I are walking with each other already. Find someone else to bother."

Leatta was going to say something saucy but the fearsome killing intent rolling off T'Lyra made her feel fear and the clinical raised eyebrow from Naruto showed he was curious as to whether or not Leatta was smart enough to back off. Finally the green skinned young Orion woman turned and quickly left in a huff.

Naruto clasped hands with T'Lyra and said lowly in her ear, "We have other places to be my love." She nodded and the young Vulcan couple left for the hotel they were planning to stay at….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Bravo Zulu: In old Earth Navy vernacular this means "Well done."

*② The Path of Enlightenment: It leads to the P'Tranek Monastery and is followed by those who wish to attain _kolinahr_ , the purging of all emotion in favor of total logic.

*③ The P'Tranek Monastery: The centuries old home of the High Masters who have achieved _kolinahr_.

*④ _Uxhaya wak-krus:_ or "Season of renewal." Loosely analogous to "Spring Break" on Earth but not nearly as outlandish.

So it appears the _Think Tank_ survived their first semester of schooling and their simulator shuttle literally went up in smoke. Next chapter is going to be a bit of a mystery called _The Celjok Shrine_. See you next time. Blue out. 7/30/17


	19. Chapter 19

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'd like to thank **Joe Lawyer** for his input on this chapter. Here is chapter 19. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

For those of you keeping track; here is the current timeline of the story:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 Kirk Born

Stardate 2336. = 2336 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Republic NCC-1371 Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 U.S.S. Enterprise 5 year Mission (TOS)

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's _koon-ut-la_

Stardate 2271. = 2271 = Y161 Naruto and T'Lyra enter Starfleet

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 V'Ger Incident (Star Trek I)

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 End of Naruto's first semester/Naruto and T'Lyra return to Vulcan

Last time:

"…. _My Naruto, I had no idea you were so strong." said a woman's voice over the music. It was Naruto's Orion classmate Leatta. She smiled and said flirtatiously. "I guess since you knocked out my two wannabe suitors that you can dance with me instead."_

 _The blonde suddenly felt so much killing intent from T'Lyra that it was like being in a war zone. Naruto raised an eyebrow as his lovely mate bared her proverbial fangs and said, "My husband and I are walking with each other already. Find someone else to bother."_

 _Leatta was going to say something saucy but the fearsome killing intent rolling off T'Lyra made her feel fear and the clinically raised eyebrow from Naruto showed he was curious as to whether or not Leatta was smart enough to back off. Finally the green skinned young Orion woman turned and quickly left in a huff._

 _Naruto clasped hands with T'Lyra and said lowly in her ear, "We have other places to be my love." She nodded and the young Vulcan couple left for the hotel they were planning to stay at_ ….

 _…._

Chapter 19

 **Stardate 2272.203, The Slumbering Sehlat Hotel, Lake Yuron, Planet Vulcan**

Naruto and T'Lyra awoke in the morning at the quiet and rather secluded Sleeping Sehlat Hotel west of Lake Yuron. Naruto awakened first and saw T'Lyra's eyes flutter open about ten minutes later. Her deep brown eyes opened and she saw Naruto's blue ones looking at her contentedly. He leaned in and kissed her deeply. "Good morning T'Lyra." he said happily.

She smiled softly thinking of all their lovemaking the night before. "Good morning my love." She yawned and stretched. "Hmmm. What shall we do today Naruto?"

The blonde propped his chin up on the heel of his palm and said, "There are a number of things around Lake Yuron aside of the beach. What picks your interest?"

T'Lyra had a curiosity about the ancient Celjok Shrine on the east side of the lake. She said to Naruto, "Let's see the Celjok Shrine. I know you saw it while you were attending the Vulcan Science Academy but I have not. I've read the myths about it being a sanctuary for clerics and others fleeing tyrannical warlords in olden times." Her brown eyes had a spark in them. "Let's take a transport out there after we have breakfast."

Naruto gave a minimal smile at her enthusiasm. "Anywhere you want to go T'Lyra. It's been a few years since I took archeology so I would like to see the shrine again as well. It's the only thing I actually have seen in the Lake Yuron area before."

As Celjok Shrine was a fairly popular tourist attraction; it was an easy task to get a transport to the ancient construct….

The young couple was soon staring the massive tower like structure trying to soak up all of the details as they walked up to join a tour group gathering up at the base of the tower. At the entrance ware docents that broke the group up into manageable numbers for the tour guides to direct through the areas of the shrine open to the public….

….

"The ruins of the Celjok Shrine are magnificent to this day and one must wonder what this splendid structure looked like in antiquity." said the tour guide as she motioned around herself at the massive fortress/shrine. "Vulcan historians cannot say with certainty how long the ruins of Celjok Shrine have existed but it has been deemed a protected historical site and is overseen by the Vulcan Science Academy. It is still being studied by archeologists and every year new details about the structure and the many artifacts excavated within are revealed…."

T'Lyra looked around in fascination and quietly asked Naruto about details as they walked along so as not to interrupt the tour guide. Naruto was answering from what he remembered from his archeology class. As Naruto explained they were interrupted by someone unexpected. "Is that you Doctor M'Fau?" asked an elderly Vulcan wearing a Medallion from the Vulcan Science Academy. He was standing on a balcony of sorts above. Naruto froze and his head pivoted mechanically up towards the older Vulcan. "It _is_ you. Marvelous, simply marvelous. Welcome back to the Celjok Shrine. Have you considered taking up an apprenticeship here Doctor? My offer is still open!" he said loudly.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Ah, Doctor Delvok, it is an unexpected pleasure to see you again." said Naruto in a strained voice.

"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" asked T'Lyra quietly.

Naruto nodded slightly and said. "He was my archeology professor. He is very….eccentric."

"Wait right there. I'll be right down Doctor M'Fau." said Devlok. He motioned to the tour guide and said in a dismissive tone, "Yuris, continue with the tour; I will escort Doctor M'Fau personally."

The tour guide Yuris looked up at the unconventional old Vulcan and bowed. "Of course Doctor Devlok; I will leave you with your guest." The tour group looked oddly at Naruto until he opened his outer robes revealing his Vulcan Science Academy Medallion with the inscriptions showing he had two doctorates and other achievements. Everyone seemed to understand then and moved on.

Doctor Devlok soon came out of a side passage and said, "Doctor Naruto M'Fau; it is so good to see you again." He looked at T'Lyra dubiously and asked, "Who might this young lady be?"

Naruto said, "Doctor Devlok, allow me to present my mate T'Lyra Tolaris. She attended the Vulcan Technical Institute at ShiKhar. T'Lyra, this is Doctor Devlok of the Vulcan Science Academy." Naruto added to his mate telepathically, ' _Doctor Devlok is rather preoccupied with one's education_.'

"So what might your degree be in Miss Tolaris?" asked Devlok.

"My degree is in Engineering." said T'Lyra. "I'm continuing my education in Starfleet."

"Ah, I see. Marvelous, simply marvelous." said Devlok as he turned from T'Lyra to Naruto. "You should have told me you were coming in advance Doctor M'Fau. I would have had an appropriate welcome prepared for you."

It was then that T'Lyra got the grand tour of the Celjok Shrine. She had many questions and Doctor Devlok was more than happy to answer them. Soon they were in newly excavated areas the Naruto hadn't seen so the eccentric professor was describing them in detail….

….

Doctor Devlok led them into a chamber where five very realistic statues of a very fearsome looking Vulcan were standing. They were each three meters tall and looked very intimidating. "We are positive these five statues all represent the insidious tyrant Sipor.*①"

"Why would there be statues of the infamous Tyrant of Raal be here hundreds of kilometers away here in the Celjok Shrine?" asked Naruto.

"An excellent question." said the archeologist. "As you well know Sipor was a mind lord capable of killing others telepathically. To this day the ShiMara Fortress*② is rumored to be haunted with the _katra_ *③ of his victims."

Naruto got a flat look. "I never thought that you put stock in such rumors Doctor."

Devlok replied, "Normally I don't but I have been to ShiMara Fortress many times and there is definitely a presence there."

"Regardless of whether or not the Fortress in Raal is 'haunted' that bears little relevance as to whether or not these are indeed statues of Sipor….unless you believe one or all of them contain parts of his _katra_." said the blonde. Seeing the gleam in his old professor's eye Naruto said, "You believe Sipor's _katra_ was split up here so he would be imprisoned for all eternity don't you Doctor Devlok? It was said to be a punishment for his type if they could capture him."

"I _knew_ you would catch on immediately. You always have been an exemplary student." said Doctor Devlok. "He was supposed to have been assassinated but the body of Sipor was never actually found Doctor M'Fau. I theorize he was brought here wounded and placed in the statues by a group of High Masters." The old professor was practically giddy (by Vulcan standards). "We have an adept who has achieved _kolinahr_ here from the P'Tranek Monastery nearby who is investigating." The professor motioned to a younger Vulcan sitting in a meditative position in the center of the room between the five statues.

Naruto's blue eyes widened in alarm. "If this is truly **_Sipor's_** spirit we are talking about then logic dictates only a High Master from the P'Tranek Monastery or Mount Selaya would be capable of handling such a powerful _katra_."

The adept's eyes opened and he started to laugh hysterically. Everyone stared in shock as the adept stood up with a deranged smile on his face and said, "Right you are foreigner. These fools haven't noticed as I combed their minds for knowledge. You are wiser than they are. It seems I have a whole new world to conquer. Come to me simpletons!" A psychic shock wave blasted everyone in the room and knocked them senseless.

Naruto felt himself assaulted by the psychic wave and it deflected off of his chakra and into the dazed T'Lyra who was holding hands with him. She was sent tumbling before she rolled to a stop. Naruto cried out, "T'Lyra!" as she laid still. He rushed over to her only to be thrown into the temple's stone wall by a ponn-ifla throw from her that cracked his skull and sent his green blood flying.

The adept collapsed. T'Lyra stood up and said, "I'm shocked this woman's body is this strong. Perhaps this one is the better choice to take as my own for now."

Doctor Devlok stumbled to his feet and said in disbelief, "Sipor?! It is not your place to take the bodies of others!" He attempted to tackle T'Lyra's body only to be stopped by her open palm and thrown back.

"Weakling, you have no chance against me." said Sipor in T'Lyra's voice. She pointed at Devlok and the old professor started screaming in agony as he was psychically attacked. "I don't even have to touch you to kill you." she said with a smile on her beautiful face.

Suddenly Sipor was captured in a bear hug from behind. A blood covered Naruto roared, "Get out of my mate body snatcher!"

Sipor struggled but couldn't break free of Naruto's massive strength. She yelled, "Damn it! I can't believe you still live!" Naruto felt Sipor try to possess his own body but once again the katra of the tyrant reflected off Naruto's chakra. T'Lyra went completely limp and the seemingly unconscious acolyte sprang back up. He simply said, "Die." as he pointed at Naruto.

Naruto felt intense pain as if his brain was on fire and body flickered behind one of the Sipor statues where he created a shadow clone to watch over the knocked out T'Lyra. He body flickered again to the opposite side of the room behind another statue.

The Adept looked wildly about the room trying to sense Naruto. He said, "I don't know what you are foreigner but somehow you are in two places. _What are you?_ " Naruto created two more shadow clones that further added to the tyrant's confusion. "Now there are four?!"

One of Doctor Devlok's assistants came in through the passage and said, "I heard screaming." He saw bodies lying everywhere. "What is going on?"

Sipor was distracted for a split second and Naruto appeared behind him with a rasengan in hand glowing like a star. The adept whipped around only for fear to fill his eyes. " _I'm sorry_." whispered Naruto as the adept's chest was blown out his back.

The tyrant screamed in horror as the spiraling sphere vaporized his _katra_ and he cried out, " _No! Not after so long,_ _ **not now!**_ "

The assistant stared in shock and horror at the grisly mess that was once the adept. He turned and ran. Naruto could hear the sound of vomiting down the tunnel….

Naruto nearly got sick himself as he saw the adept's green blood coating his robes and all over the floor. The adept was literally torn in half. The only comfort Naruto had was the adept had died in an instant. Naruto saw his shadow clone come out with the dazed but now conscious T'Lyra. In spite of the gore she hugged him tightly and kissed Naruto tenderly. "I love you Naruto." she said in an exhausted voice. "That was an awful experience."

Naruto nodded sadly and kissed her forehead….

….

 **Stardate 2272.206, P'Tranek Monastery, Lake Yuron**

It was three days later that the High Masters of the P'Tranek Monastery cleared Naruto and T'Lyra to return to their normal activities. It took a great deal of effort to eradicate the last vestiges of Sipor's _katra_ that afflicted those he attacked, particularly T'Lyra and Doctor Devlok. The professor was still in a coma. Naruto was relatively unharmed and any damage he suffered was soon healed. The High Master Lodzhal soon came out to the rather exhausted young couple and said, "I have spoken to the other High Masters and you are both safe to return to your vacation. The only side effects we have found is Miss Tolaris's telepathic abilities seem to have increased significantly according to her own memories. I would advise practice, meditation and reflection to master your new abilities Miss Tolaris."

T'Lyra bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance Master Lodzhal."

Lodzhal nodded and said to Naruto, "Your thoughts Mister M'Fau?"

"I am concerned that Sipor isn't truly dead Master Lodzhal." said Naruto. "He survived for centuries without a body."

Lodzhal said, "We High Masters share your concern Mister M'Fau. One thing is certain however. Even if he survived somehow you dealt him a crippling blow. His terror at being destroyed that you heard was very real. We shall remain vigilant."

The young couple enquired about Doctor Devlak's condition and was told he was still in a coma and would be taken care of. They soon bid the High Masters farewell with the traditional Vulcan Salute and said, "Peace and long life."

Master Lodzhal replied with, "Live long and prosper."

….

 **Stardate 2272.207, The Slumbering Sehlat Hotel, Lake Yuron**

Returning to the resort hotel they were staying at, Naruto and T'Lyra turned had a light dinner and turned in for the night given they were mentally and physically drained.

Around 2 AM Naruto awoke to T'Lyra kissing his neck and jawline wildly. Naruto was in a daze and started returning his mate's aggressive advances. They made love desperately for hours wanting to feel alive after their horrible experience at the Celjok Shrine. Four hours later they were lying in each other's arms feeling exhausted having spent all of their energy. Naruto looked into T'Lyra's eyes and saw worry and unease. He whispered, "We are safe now T'Lyra." seeing her indecisive look he said, "Let us share our thoughts."

T'Lyra nodded and kissed her husband before she brought her hand up and gently placed her fingers in place to initiate a mind meld. Naruto closed his eyes peacefully as they said in unison [Your mind to my mind; your thoughts to my thoughts] in old Golic Vulcan.

Their souls touched and the young couple shared their pain with one another. For his part Naruto never killed before and slaying the adept from the Monastery weighed upon him heavily. As far as Naruto could discern it was the logical if not _only_ option at the time but killing an innocent person left Naruto feeling sick and empty inside.

On T'Lyra's part; she felt horrible that Sipor took over her body. She not only felt violated but using her ponn-ifla to hurt Naruto and psychically attacking Doctor Devlok had been soul wrenching for her. The pair of lovers gently took each other's pain away through their intimate mental contact. They spent hours soothing and caressing one another's souls to heal each other….

When they came out of their mind meld Naruto and T'Lyra felt safe and peaceful. They kissed gently and T'Lyra said, "I love you Naruto."

"I love you too T'Lyra." replied the blonde as he snuggled up closer to her. "Let's sleep now. We're both tired and I just want to hold you close to me."

No more words needed to be said….

….

 **Stardate 2272.214, Vulcana Regar, M'Fau Banking and Investment Firm**

A week later T'Lyra and Naruto arrived in Vulcana Regar and took the public transport to the commercial district to meet up with Naruto's cousin Metana of the M'Fau Banking and Investment Firm. They had an appointment to keep that morning and the blonde wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing Metana face to face again. Naruto was doing the basic math in his head. He received a Starfleet communiqué regarding the payments for his warp design. The second installment of 250 million credits had been deposited and an additional ship was being converted so an additional 25 million was pending once the ship was completed.

Naruto had talked to several Starfleet officers over the last few months about the recent Klingo-Kzinti conflict and one thing was certain to him. War was coming whether the Federation wanted it or not. The recent movements of the Federation Fleet towards the Klingon border were shortsighted and illogical to him. The show of force was bound to backfire. If the Federation wanted to negotiate with the Klingons then making threatening movements towards the Klingon Empire was a very bad idea. Naruto wasn't biased against the Klingons but knew they were militaristic by nature and in the face of aggression were far more likely to attack if the opportunity arose….In history that was the case with warrior races time and again including the Vulcans of the not so ancient past.

He and T'Lyra had discussed this at length and decided that war industries would probably be the wisest investments to make at this point in time. They would start by expanding from just warp engines into other starship components both military and civilian. Phasers, impulse engines and auxiliary power reactors were their primary focus for the time being. Naruto also had an interest in developing auxiliary warp reactors which were in their design infancy at the time.

For her part, T'Lyra had the idea of investing in pharmaceutical and medical research to help develop new ways of healing others which she thought was far more progressive than just funding weapons for war. Naruto agreed. It was with this plan in mind that they went to see Metana M'Fau.

The young couple was sitting in the waiting room while Metana finished her appointment that preceded theirs. At precisely 9 AM they were invited in by Metana's secretary. Upon entering they saw Metana had a medium sized office that was very ergonomically and logically arranged. The black haired advisor stood and welcomed them with the Vulcan salute and said, "Peace and long life cousin Naruto; welcome. Please make yourselves comfortable." She then formally exchanged greetings with T'Lyra and the three were seated.

….

"So you wish to invest more in the military industrial complex cousin?" asked Metana. "I admit all these companies make both military and civilian goods but one might consider your investments to be preparations for some kind of a war."

Naruto thought to himself, ' _She is very perceptive_.' He frowned and said, "I am fully qualified in starship design. If I wish to pursue that in the future then owning parts of these various firms will benefit me and give me opportunities I might not have otherwise. Besides, my mate and I are also looking into medical research funding."

Metana's dark eyes lit up at this. "There are a number a medical firms right here on Vulcan that could benefit from prospective investors such as yourselves."

After three hours of rather intense discussion Naruto and T'Lyra had the investments set up in the way they desired and bid Metana farewell with the Vulcan salute.

Metana got up after they left and thought to herself, ' _Why was I such a foolish child? He is very talented and very intelligent….not to mention he has grown up to be very physically attractive….Now Naruto has a beautiful mate and it is obvious how strong their bond is….That could have been me_ ….'

….

Once T'Lyra and Naruto were outside the M'Fau Investment Firm they both relaxed a bit. The blonde said, "That was taxing. I wanted to tour Vulcana Regar a bit but now I'd prefer to go back home to our families in ShiKhar. What do you think T'Lyra?"

The brunette beauty yawned slightly. "It wasn't what we planned but I am in total agreement. Let's go home and relax."

….

 **Stardate 2272.215, ShiKhar, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto and T'Lyra were at his parent's house in the kitchen quietly drinking some Vulcan Port with them as he described the disastrous trip to Lake Yuron. Sovar sipped his drink and said, "It sounds like the two of you had a rough time of it. You both need to rest yourselves physically and mentally. Coming home to ShiKhar was the logical thing to do my son."

T'Ara said, "You are more than welcome to stay here of course. We have plenty of room. After an experience like that it would be best for you both to find your center."

The young couple spent the remainder of their time on leave reconnecting with family and friends and touring a bit around ShiKhar on their speeder bikes.

They also went to a club to see what it was like….

 **….**

 ** _Thelin's Cross-Temporal Tavern_** **, Multicultural Mecantile District, ShiKhar City**

Naruto and T'Lyra had never been to any sort of nightclub before but they both knew how to dance thanks to Naruto's little sister Talok and practicing V'Shan. As they spun and orbited around each other Naruto saw the happiness in his mate's eyes that mirrored his own. The young Vulcan couple was completely in their own world as other couples around them danced. As the blonde twirled T'Lyra away from himself and then back to him he thought, ' _Beautiful_ ….'

T'Lyra was having a wonderful time and was fighting the urge to break into a full blown smile as Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra showing how excited he was. ' _Tonight we are going to a private room_.' she thought eagerly. ' _Naruto M'Fau, I love you_ ….'

Ironically Naruto's Orion classmate Leatta was there with another female cadet from their class. _Thelin's_ was a favorite watering hole for Starfleet personnel and she and her friend Heidi Gaul had to check it out. She said to a Heidi, "They've been dancing in perfect synch together for two hours." ' _I was hoping Naruto would ask me to dance too but he doesn't seem to know I exist_.'

Heidi was thoroughly impressed that Naruto and T'Lyra danced so well. She raised her eyebrows and said, "I certainly couldn't keep up with them. It's like watching two spirits glide across the mist of the forest floor."

Leatta smiled and said, "That's quite poetic there."

The human grinned and said, "What did you expect? Poetry is a hobby of mine being a musician."

"I should have guessed." chuckled the Orion girl.

As it turned out Naruto and T'Lyra never did notice Leatta was there….

….

 **Stardate 2272.229, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

The trip back to Earth was sedate much to both Naruto and T'Lyra's relief. Upon landing at San Francisco they both immediately noticed the cooler climate and lower gravity they would have to (once again) have to acclimate to. They were able to stay a night at a hotel before T'Lyra had to catch a transport to Mars to report for duty. Naruto likewise had to return to the dorms to start his second semester….

….

 **Dorm F, Room 125-F, Starfleet Academy**

It was just after lunchtime when Naruto returned to Dorm F with his luggage and saw that his roommate and good friend M'rella was already there. Fresh tropical planets adorned their shared quarters as well as some new paintings that were obviously from Cait. The soft purrs of Caitian music was quietly playing. Naruto had a tiny smile as she came into view dancing about to the music in an emerald green kimono. ' _She must be completely wrapped up in her music to have not noticed me_.' thought Naruto. ' _She really can dance. I had no idea_.' he thought looking at the beautiful Caitian girl.

Deciding it was rude not to make his presence known Naruto cleared his throat causing her to stop dancing mid step with wide amber eyes. She blushed through her sleek black coat of fur and said, "N-Naruto? When did you arrive?"

"Just now." said Naruto. "I was looking at the new decorations in our quarters so I knew you must have been here. When did you arrive?"

The Caitian girl smiled. "I arrived early and got in the dorms at 06:00*④ this morning."

"You must have been very busy as it is only 13:00 now." said the blonde hybrid. "It is good to see you well M'rella."

M'rella flashed Naruto a big smile and said, "I am happy to see you looking so well Naruto. A new semester starts in a couple of days. I'm sure it will be even better than the last one."

Naruto gave a tiny smile at the Caitian girl's optimism. "Yes, let us hope so."

….

 **Stardate 2772.229, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars, Fleet Repair Dock 15**

Upon her return to Mars the first thing T'Lyra noticed was something was _very_ amiss with the _U.S.S. Darwin_. "Where are the warp engine nacelles and pylons?!" asked the young Engineer's Mate. " _Darwin_ was supposed to launch at the end of the month!" Soon T'Lyra got the news from her good friend Brea Mathuin….

Brea said, "Yeah, the engine refit on the _Enterprise_ was so successful that Starfleet Command decided in their infinite wisdom to perform the same conversion on the _Darwin_ as well."

"But the old engines were _completely refurbished_." said T'Lyra. "Starfleet Command has caused months of work on the _Darwin_ to be demolished."

"I wasn't too thrilled either T'Lyra." said the dark haired Irish woman. "The engines were removed intact as spares for Darwin's sisterships but it still is a huge setback for us."

"So how far back has the launch date been pushed back?" asked the brunette.

"The launch date for the _Darwin_ has been pushed back four more months." said Brea with a sigh. "She's supposed to launch on New Year's Day 2273."

"So as of Stardate 2273.001 Darwin will launch." pondered T'Lyra aloud. Her dark brown eyes suddenly glittered. "Will any of you humans be sober for the launch?"

Brea just sweat dropped and asked,"You aren't ever going to let me live that down are you…?"

….

"So how was your trip home to Vulcan?" asked Brea cheerfully.

T'Lyra said, "It was very….distressing. I would rather not talk about it."

The hollow sound in T'Lyra's voice made Brea concerned. "Is everything alright between you and your husband?"

The brunette perked up. "He saved my life. Things could not be better between us. Naruto and I have never been closer."

Brea exhaled not realizing she'd been holding her breath. "I'm glad for you two then. That's what really counts."

T'Lyra replied, "You are right. My mate and I got to spend time together and relax. That part was most enjoyable."

….

 **Stardate 2272.231, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Naruto and M'rella were soon exchanging greetings with the other members of the _Think Tank_ that were all in the process of unpacking and preparing for classes to start. They had an impromptu get together with Rafi, Samui and Shar from the command Team to exchange greetings. Later the entire group of twenty was all together in the mess hall celebrating everyone coming back for a second semester. The big Orion Kloene from engineering said exuberantly, "This is going to be great. We'll do even better this semester!"

Naruto's Trill friend Rafi said with equal enthusiasm. "That's the spirit! Cheers!"

"CHEERS!" roared the rest of the _Think Tank_ in approval.

Shizuka Nadeshiko looked in on her unofficial charges and smiled. ' _I wonder what they'll come up with this semester_ ….'

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Sipor was a cruel Tyrant that ruled over the Raal region from the Shimara Fortress for decades before he was assassinated by an underling.

*② ShiMara Fortress was contructed centuries ago to support the efforts of laborers in the kevas mines along the coast of the Voroth Sea in Raal. It was controlled by tyrants such as Sipor in antiquity but was converted into a place of peace and logic before it was abandoned for centuries. As most of its structures are still intact it is often rumored to be haunted.

*③ _Katra_ is a "living spirit" of an individual or the essence of a Vulcan's intellect. When death is near some Vulcans are able the transfer their _katra_ into the mind of another living being.

*④ I'm going to start using military time while the characters are in a military environment. I should have been doing this all along.

This chapter actually is further along in the plot than I planned. It was originally going to end after Naruto and T'Lyra visited Metana but I had a ton of space left so I started the next semester. Looks like the _U.S.S. Darwin_ is stuck in drydock for a few months longer. What will come of that? The _Think Tank_ is back in high spirits and we'll see the return of many familiar spaces next chapter. See you next time. Blue out. 12/24/17


	20. Chapter 20

_Naruto: Infinity Divide_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

There is a lot of technical jargon in this chapter but it _is_ plot related. Here is chapter 20. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2272.231, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth_**

 _Naruto and M'rella were soon exchanging greetings with the other members of the Think Tank that were all in the process of unpacking and preparing for classes to start. They had an impromptu get together with Rafi, Samui and Shar from the command Team to exchange greetings. Later the entire group of twenty was all together in the mess hall celebrating everyone coming back for a second semester. The big Orion Kloene from engineering said exuberantly, "This is going to be great. We'll do even better this semester!"_

 _Naruto's Trill friend Rafi said with equal enthusiasm. "That's the spirit! Cheers!"_

 _"CHEERS!" roared the rest of the Think Tank in approval._

 _Shizuka Nadeshiko looked in on her unofficial charges and smiled. ' I wonder what they'll come up with this semester….'_

 _…._

Chapter 20

 **Stardate 2272.231, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth, Dorm F room 125-F**

Naruto and his Orion friend Kloene were having a discussion after the big dinner the _Think Tank_ had. The blonde overheard that Kloene was starting an independent design study like he was and that gave Naruto an idea….

"Please come in." said Naruto. "Tea?"

Kloene said, "I've never had Vulcan Tea before. I'll try it."

The blonde quickly brewed up some tea and said, "I heard you say that you were looking for an independent design study Kloene. I know your degree is in Starship engineering; do you know impulse engines and reactors well?"

"Know them?" asked Kloene. "My Vulcan friend, I practically grew up living and breathing the things! My actual doctorate I just completed is in Starship propulsion systems. Hell, my Grandfather is on the board at YPS.*①"

"Your Grandfather is on the board of directors at Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems?" asked Naruto in surprise. ' _I just bought a large sum of stock of theirs_.'

Kloene laughed, "Yeah, Gramps is quite the businessman. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps at YPS but I like designing stuff too much to be tied down in a business office wheeling and dealing all day so I went into Starfleet. Why do you ask?"

"I'm interested in shipboard auxiliary warp reactors*② and have been studying them intensely of late." said the blonde.

The beefy Orion raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Why would you be interested in those? I think the only prominent person interested in those things was Tirunze from Tellar. He had a corporation and it was such a failure that he sold out." Naruto nodded and Kleone said, "Almost every spacefaring race dropped them because they had no appreciable advantages over conventional auxiliary power reactors.*③ They are big, bulky and expensive."

"That is correct." said Naruto. "I want to create a shipboard auxiliary warp reactor that is kilogram for kilogram equal to a standard power reactor in power, weight and size. Cost is irrelevant at this point."

Kloene looked puzzled. "Okay….I'm not saying it's impossible but it would still cost a fortune and without Tirunze's research it would have to be developed from the bottom up."

Naruto gave a tiny smile and said, "I bought the patent and Doctor Tirunze's research at an economical price. He was going in the wrong direction trying to modify them from big ones that power our bases and ground units. For all the reasons you mentioned the concept failed. I want _small_ warp reactors to power starships in place of standard auxiliary power reactors."

Kloene's dark eyes got big. "You _bought_ the patent and the research?!" Where did you get the money and just as importantly _why?_ "

The blonde said, "The money is from my own patents. As for why; that's why I asked you to come here Kloene."

The Orion scratched his chin. "You know I'm looking for an independent design study and want me to develop an auxiliary warp reactor to replace fusion reactors on starships."

Naruto nodded and said, "That is exactly right. Are you up to the challenge?"

"I'm up to _any_ challenge." said Kloene forcefully. "But you haven't answered the question most important question of _why_. Who needs a reactor to provide warp power that won't move a ship? Like I said, there are no advantages over an APR at all and they would cost more. Tirunze's work is a folly."

Naruto's blue eyes got very intense and he said, "For every other race an AWR _would_ be a waste of time but _not_ the Federation." Seeing Kloene's confused look the blonde hybrid said, "Let me pose you a question. What kind of heavy weapon is unique to the Federation?"

Kloene instantly said, "The photon torpedo of course."

"And what type of energy does it take to charge the antimatter warhead on a photon torpedo?" asked Naruto.

"It exclusively uses warp energy naturally, I-" The green skinned Orion gasped. "Many smaller ships in the Federation a considered underpowered in relation to their heavy armament but by replacing the APRs with AWRs that huge liability would be remedied!"

The Vulcan hybrid nodded. "….At least in part. Then you see why developing a shipboard auxiliary warp reactor would be worthwhile."

Kloene was goggle eyed. "If I could convince Gramps then he might put it before the board and YPS could gain a big chunk of a new market. Naruto, we could get rich off of this!"

"More importantly the Federation would benefit in the future." said Naruto. "I have contacts in the Starship Bureau of Design and Repair that might be interested if you were to decide to go with this as your independent design study."

The big Orion smirked. "Just how many steps have you thought ahead Naruto?"

"I'm designing a ship and those AWRs could solve some of my problems." said the blonde. "It's _my_ independent design study."

"How big is it?" asked Kloene. ' _This I have to see_.'

"It is a light cruiser sized vessel." replied Naruto. "It currently has four APRs but they could preferably be replaced with AWR's provided the reactors become available."

"A light cruiser huh? What does this mystery ship look like?" asked the big Orion engineer. Naruto pondered a moment and Kloene said excitedly, "Don't keep me in suspense man!"

Naruto nodded. "Consider this classified." At Kloene's nod Naruto commanded, "Computer, display Project NCC-1500 design A." A sleek cruiser with a very low profile appeared. The design had two warp nacelles slung tightly under the primary hull. The primary hull was a standard Federation saucer but the rear half was expanded to provide more room for development of other variants such as a scout or commando ship.*④

Kloene whistled looking at the new design. "That's one hell of a design Naruto. He carefully looked over the ship's power grids. Hmmm….Leeding's newest warp engines design….nice. Yoyoydyne's new compact impulse engines for sublight drive….standard batteries and 4 auxiliary power reactors. How much more powerful is it than the old Texas class light cruisers?"

"It has twice the photon torpedo power, twice the shuttle capacity and much heavier shielding. It also can attain warp factor nine." answered Naruto. "At this point I estimate it is 20% more powerful than the Texas class. More importantly the hull is designed to be adaptable to several roles. The ship has plenty of room for growth. The only thing I've sacrificed is a third of the ship's labs."

"So you need an AWR that is a drop fit to replace the existing APRs." said the Orion. "Let me do some preliminary research."

The blonde hybrid nodded. "I can let you look at Tirunze's research if you want. It is extensive even if it follows the wrong path."

Kloene grinned. "This could be just what I'm looking for."

….

 **Stardate 2272.233, Central Auditorium, Starfleet Academy**

Two days later the cadets of Starfleet were gathered for the opening speech which welcomed them back to the academy. Admiral Pye gave his dialogue and emphasized that they needed to be prepared for the future. Naruto also saw Shizuka Nadeshiko near the Admiral acting as security.

' _Another Semester begins_.' thought the blonde. ' _Now I actually have assigned time to dedicate to my light cruiser design. That gives me 18 months to detail the design_.' He looked over at M'rella who was standing beside him. It was very obvious the young Caitian woman was excited to be there.

She smiled at him and said, "This semester we'll have to try even harder. We only have a limited time to learn before we join the fleet."

The speech soon ended and the _Think Tank_ went straight to requisitions to get ahead in the already forming line for supplies. Naruto was in line with M'rella, Samui Schrodinger and Rafi. Shar and their friend Shelly Wilson from the medical team were there as well.

"Well, as expected there is a huge line." said Rafi.

Samui nodded in agreement. "At least we know our way around now. The first time was daunting and confusing….not to mention we had no idea it would take so long back then."

"Hey, it's the _Think Tank!_ How are you guys?" asked the Fourth Year Jackie Nodaway out of nowhere.

"Hello upperclassman Nodaway." said Samui formally.

Jackie waved her hand dismissively and said, "No need to be so formal. Just call me Jackie. I can't wait to team up in the simulators with you guys."

Rafi said, "As long as we aren't teamed up with Kirov and his bunch I'll be happy."

The Fourth Year chuckled. "Yeah, Kirov's egomania gets him in all kinds of trouble. Being teamed up with his crew is virtually a guaranteed lose."

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars _, U.S.S. Darwin_ in FRD-15**

Meanwhile, T'Lyra was getting back into the routine of things. She had her space suit on and floated into the Engineering deck of the _Darwin_ where the main warp reactor was being replaced. The whole engineering deck was virtually gutted for the new reactor and engines. The brunette wanted to groan at the gaping holes that allowed one to see space through the roof of the secondary hull. ' _All of that work for nothing_.' she thought. The Vulcan girl was looking at the schematics of the new warp engines that were going to be completed and brought in from Leeding Engines Limited within the month. She noted the engine's serial numbers showed they were the third and fourth production engines of that type. Engines one and two already went to the _Enterprise_.

' _So they are using Naruto's warp architecture on the Darwin as well.' _thought T'Lyra _. 'I knew the U.S.S. Enterprise was considered a huge success but I didn't expect them to accelerate the program so rapidly. Usually they wait a couple of years before making such big changes. I wonder about how many other ships will be converted….Even at a mere 5% Naruto and I are making 25 million credits per ship_. _I guess the Darwin will be on par with the Enterprise when done even if it's a galactic survey cruiser instead of a command cruiser.'_

Brea Mathuin soon joined her friend and said, "There is nothing like starting over from scratch, eh?"

T'Lyra nodded at her friend. "According to the schedule it will be two months before the secondary hull is made airtight again." ' _On the positive side I'll be able to see how the new engine is designed to fit Naruto's warp architecture_.' "I suppose we'll know these systems inside and out before we are done."

"Given we've been assigned down here as our work space we will learn it all whether we want to or not." said Brea with a chuckle. "Ah, there is Chief Rodney. He's waving us over."

"It's time to get to work then." said T'Lyra….

….

 **Simulation Hall, Starfleet Academy, Planet Earth**

Commander Triela Jackson gave her usual gruff greetings to the _Think Tank_ command team. "Welcome back, I see none of you dropped out. Good. This semester will be more difficult than the last even if you all beat the Kobayashi Maru so don't get cocky."

' _She's as friendly as ever_.' thought Rafi.

Shar thought, ' _I wonder what nightmare scenarios she's thought up this semester. Commander Jackson is ruthless_.'

"Look at your tablets and pay attention." said the Commander. "Today we're going to talk about the concepts of high energy turns and emergency deceleration…."

 _Classes had begun again and the Think Tank was already back in the thick of it_….

….

 **Stardate 2272.235, Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

Two days later a meeting was being held by the Admiralty on the fast cruiser concept. The War College was there to present their findings….

"Rather than considering the fast cruiser an alternate type to a normal heavy cruiser; the War College has come up with the concept of a 'special mission' type used for missions behind enemy lines such as interdiction, commerce raiding and scouting." said Rear Admiral Tholas, the Andorian Commandant of the War College. "There are a myriad of things this ship can do that others can't. The loss of two photon torpedoes means slugging it out in a traditional fleet battle wouldn't be wise but it's flexibility in other tactical and strategic situations is undeniable. The War College recommends that the fast cruiser type be put in limited protection."

Rear Admiral Nogura scoffed. "So we have a heavy cruiser that needs protection from other heavy cruisers to survive. Grand."

"Quite the contrary." said Admiral Tholas. "The type operates best alone without any other ships to slow it down. Anything the fast cruiser can't fight it can leave in the proverbial dust."

Vice Admiral Fitzpatrick said, "It sounds like every pirate's dream ship. Hit and fade."

Admiral Tholas nodded. "The design was so successful in the war games that having one available was a coveted commodity for our fleet's commanders."

Admiral Morrow asked Tholas, "How many would the War College recommend we build of the fast cruiser type?"

"They probably want four or five per border." grumbled Nogura.

Admiral Tholas gave Nogura a flat look and said, " _Actually_ we recommend a limited production of four to five total sir. That would allow us to place one on the Klingon and Romulan Borders as well as the Kzinti and Gorn borders.

Admiral Morrow asked, "What do you think Rear Admiral Tolm?"

Tolm pondered for a moment and said, "A class of four vessels wouldn't displace but one heavy cruiser on the slipways over the next few years. We are currently at capacity with heavy cruiser construction. If we were to lay a keel down in 2275 the first one would be completed in 2277 and we could complete one per year after that. That seems reasonable given the fast cruiser design is experimental. The detail design is at 38% so the full design will be done by the end of next year."

"Thirty-eight percent?! That's incredibly quick for a detail design for a cruiser Admiral Tolm." said Vice Admiral Fitzpatrick.

Admiral Tolm said, "Most of the ship's interior structural elements were already designed by Doctor Naruto when he presented his design. The detail design has been moving at a rapid pace as a result."

"Doctor Naruto?" asked Tholas. "I've never heard of him before."

"He's new. Captain Suzuki mentioned him in our last meeting Tholas." said Rear Admiral Tolm. "Of the many competing designs his was a head and shoulders above the rest. I believe he has a bright future with us."

"Is this Naruto in Starfleet or just a consultant? I don't trust outsiders." asked Nogura.

Tolm sighed and said, "Doctor Naruto is in Starfleet but is an acting consultant since he is technically in the command branch. His warp field design is why the refitted _Enterprise_ is breaking every speed record we have currently."

Admiral Morrow whistled. "I thought that was Commander Montgomery Scott's design."

"Commander Scott adopted the warp architecture from Doctor Naruto." said Tolm with a smile. "If it wasn't for the Commander we never would have discovered Doctor Naruto. We currently have him designing a new light cruiser to replace the old _Texas_ class. As you all know the _Texas_ class has long needed a replacement."

"That I can agree on." said Rear Admiral Nogura. "So you are hedging your bets that this Doctor Naruto has the answer to our light cruiser problem?"

Admiral Tolm shook his head. "We have dozens of people working on various designs. Doctor Naruto is working on one of many."

"We're getting off track here." said Admiral Morrow. "All in favor of putting the fast cruiser in limited production say Aye."

A chorus of ayes and nays circled the room and Morrow said, "By a vote of six to three the fast cruiser design will be placed in limited production. This meeting is adjourned."

 **….**

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars, _U.S.S. Darwin_ in FRD-15**

T'Lyra was working on the redesigned shaft for the brand new warp core reactor on the _Darwin_. Ordinarily they had those of higher rank and experience working on such delicate areas but the young Vulcan woman had proved that she was more than capable of handling the job. T'Lyra stopped and put down her plasma torch to take a small break. Her Commander was an elderly Chief Petty Officer named Miles Rodney. He'd kept an eye on T'Lyra because her skill was far in excess of her years. "How is it going Engineer's Mate T'Lyra?" asked the old Chief.

"It is going well sir but modifications will be necessary the fit the bottom three rows of plating for the shaft." said T'Lyra. "They won't fit properly otherwise."

Chief Rodney said, "You are the first to pick up on that. This new engine refit we are putting on the Darwin was originally slated for a heavy cruiser of the _Constitution_ Class. It has to be custom modified and altered to fit a galactic survey cruiser like the _Darwin_ here."

T'Lyra nodded, "Then these parts were originally slated for the _Kongo_ that just entered dock in FRD-12."

Rodney said, "Spot on T'Lyra; as usual. _NCC-1710 Kongo_ will be the second _Constitution_ Class to receive the _Constitution II_ refit."

"Is that what they are calling the _Enterprise_ refit now Chief?" asked the young Vulcan woman.

He nodded. "Yes, only the _Kongo_ is already a command cruiser so it will be easier in theory. The _Enterprise_ was converted in the process from a heavy cruiser to a command cruiser so it took longer."

"It sounds like the whole heavy cruiser fleet is slated for refit." said T'Lyra. "Shouldn't they do more tests on the _Enterprise_ before proceeding? It's still on an extended shakedown cruise as I understand it."

Rodney smiled and said, "Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die."

T'Lyra said, "Some old Earth proverbs have wisdom in them."

"Indeed they do." said the Chief. "Well, back to work! We have a cruiser to rebuild."

….

 **Stardate 2272.236, Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair**

The next day Rear Admiral Tolm called in Captain Hiro Suzuki and Captain Vach M'Fau in for a staff meeting. The old Admiral said, "Vach, Suzuki, the War College was at the Admiralty Staff meeting yesterday and the fast cruiser design has been approved for limited production. A class of four vessels will be laid down starting in 2275. The Naval Construction Contracts for the first two will be NCC-1602 and NCC-1603. I would call this a big success for our team."

Suzuki said, "Excellent! This is great news sir. What did the vote turn out to be?"

"I would be interested in knowing that myself." said Vach. ' _T'Ara, your son is an amazing young man. He has made me proud_.'

Admiral Tolm grinned. "It passed six to three in favor. You should have heard Admiral Tholas from the War College talk about the design. I chatted with him after the meeting adjourned and the War College simulations practically sold them all on the fast cruiser. They want to use it for scouting, commerce raiding and operating behind enemy lines. Tholas thinks it's a brilliant concept."

Vach had amusement in her eyes, "A commerce raider? I never would have thought of such an idea."

The Rear Admiral nodded and said, "I wouldn't have either. Apparently having just one of these ships raising hell behind enemy lines slowed the logistics of the opposing fleet so badly that they thought _several_ raiding ships were in the area. To top that off they had to pull a huge amount of resources from the front to try to hunt the fast cruiser down. In the end the fast cruiser escaped back into friendly space unscathed."

Suzuki laughed, "Hah! I can only imagine what the real thing will do with the detail design going so well."

Captain Vach asked, "Has Doctor Naruto been informed of this success? If not I will be pleased to inform him."

"Actually I've been wondering if he's made any headway on the new light cruiser design." said Suzuki.

"At any rate we should invite Doctor Naruto out here to share the good news." said Rear Admiral Tolm. "We'll ask him to bring his preliminary work on the new light cruiser as well."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F room 125-F**

Naruto was working on an essay on interstellar politics along with M'rella when the viewscreen on the table activated. He saw the Starfleet Command logo and the blonde answered crisply, "Cadet Naruto M'Fau here."

"Cadet Naruto M'Fau; please submit for retina scan to receive the message." said the computer in an emotionless voice.

The blonde wanted to growl. "I have work to do. I don't need people calling me." he said under his breath.

M'rella said smiling, "I'll step out of the room so you can take your important call that you don't want." She was obviously amused.

Naruto sighed and lined his eye up with the scanner in the corner of the computer. "Proceed with the retina scan computer." said Naruto in a tired tone.

"Working." said the computer as low intensity lasers scanned his eye. "Identity confirmed. Would you like to receive the message now?"

Naruto thought, ' _No, not really_.' "Display the message computer." The blonde then saw Captain Vach on the screen on gave her the Vulcan salute. "I bid you greeting Captain Vach. Your call is unexpected. Is there something I can assist you with?"

Vach returned his salute and said, "Admiral Tolm has requested that you report to his office at the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair at 18:00 hours." Seeing Naruto's dumbfounded look she said, "This is very good news Doctor M'Fau. Please bring your preliminary design work on the NCC-1500 project as well."

"I will be there Captain Vach." said Naruto. ' _Although I could have used more notice_.'

"Good." said the Vulcan woman. "I look forward to seeing you again. Vach out."

"M'Fau out." said Naruto as the screen went blank.

M'rella came back in seeing Naruto was done. "That was quick." said the Caitian girl. "Is there some sort of emergency?"

"No, Admiral Tolm wishes to see me at 18:00 hours for some reason. I was told it was good news."

"That's when they serve dinner in the mess hall." said M'rella.

"Yes, it is most inconvenient." said Naruto. "I should put on my dress uniform." he added absentmindedly.

….

After a quick shower and dressing appropriately; Naruto went down to the Academy transporter room and informed the chief there. "I need to beam over to the platform at the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair." ' _I hate to spend my transporter credits but I am running late_.*⑤'

A moment later Naruto stepped onto the transporter platform and shimmered out of existence….

….Only to arrive at the at the transporter room in the Bureau of Design and Repair building where he showed his identification. The transporter chief there said, "I need to verify with Admiral Tolm that you are expected after hours."

Naruto nodded and waited for his clearance to come through. Within five minutes he was in the turbo lift with a security escort still wondering why he'd been called. The guard checked the extended memory module as well because he thought it could be something suspicious (like a bomb). After clearing all the security checks Naruto finally made it to Admiral Tolm's Office at exactly 18:00 hours.

The secretary was happy to greet the blonde and said, "Welcome back Doctor Naruto; you are right on time!" she pressed a button on her desk to buzz the Admiral and said, "Please head in and congratulations on your success!"

Naruto had no idea what the secretary was talking about but decided to just go along with it. He simply said, "Thank you."

….

Naruto walked into the office where Rear Admiral Tolm was sitting with Captain Hiro Suzuki and Captain Vach. Tolm motioned Naruto in and said, "Welcome back Doctor Naruto; please come in and join us."

The blonde bowed and gave the traditional Vulcan salute. He said, "I come to serve."

Captain Vach nodded and returned his salute. "Your service honors us."

Rear Admiral Tolm and Captain Suzuki both greeted Naruto more informally and Tolm said, "Please sit with us Doctor, you are among friends."

Naruto sat down opposite from Rear Admiral Tolm and said, "Cadet Naruto M'Fau reporting as ordered Admiral."

Tolm looked over at Vach and asked, "Did you order him to come here Captain Vach?"

Vach raised an eyebrow and said. "I simply stated that you requested his presence sir."

Admiral Tolm and Captain Suzuki sweat dropped at Vach's typical Vulcan way of handling things. The Rear Admiral recovered first and said, "The fast cruiser that you designed has been approved for limited production. The first two have already been assigned hull numbers Doctor Naruto; NCC-1602 and NCC-1603. We felt it was well worth rejoicing. Would you like to dine with us this evening to celebrate?"

"This is most unexpected." said Naruto. "I thought you wished to see the new light cruiser design I was working on."

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F Mess Hall**

"What kind of trouble do you suppose Naruto has gotten himself into now?" asked Rafi.

M'rella shrugged. "He's designing a ship for Starfleet his independent study. It's probably something to do with that. Why else would he be called to the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair?"

"What kind of a ship is it?" asked Samui.

"It's a classified project so I don't know." said M'rella.

Shar chuckled. "He probably designed something that shocked them into disbelief."

M'rella nodded in agreement. "You're probably right. Naruto tends to do that sort of thing…."

….

 **Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair, Lounge**

"….And the War College is absolutely thrilled with the fast cruiser concept." said Admiral Tolm. "You've made a big splash in naval design circles already Doctor. We are all looking forward to your future design studies."

"So they decided that commerce raiding is an ideal use for the fast cruiser." pondered Naruto aloud. "That is a fascinating concept. It would be interesting to try it out in a simulation."

Vach saw the wheels spinning in Naruto's head. ' _He looks just like my brother and T'Ara when he's thinking. It takes me back_ ….'

After an extravagant meal (at least in Naruto's opinion); Admiral Tolm led them back to his office and said, "Let's have a look at the new light cruiser design Doctor. I'm sure Captain Suzuki and Captain Vach are as interested as I am."

Naruto nodded and said, "The preliminary design is only 32% along so it may not meet your expectations. Currently the only things mapped out to my satisfaction are the power systems and weaponry."

"I'm sure it will be sufficient to give us an idea." assured Suzuki. "There are currently fifteen different designs in various stages of completion so we often take the best designs and compromise."

"There are fifteen?" asked Naruto. "That is quite a lot."

Captain Vach said, "There were eleven other fast cruisers so do not feel surprised. It is common for us to get dozens of designs over a period of years without any meeting the requirements we have in mind."

"I was told the design parameters were limited only to my imagination so I have no idea what requirements the Bureau has in mind." said Naruto.

"That's because it allows you design freedoms that some others don't have." said Captain Suzuki. "There may be a feature or features in your design that no one else has thought of that we could adapt into another design. It's a melting pot process."

Rear Admiral Tolm elaborated and said, "Often we ask for designs that would be prohibitively expensive just to see what limits we can push and beyond. It's a slow learning process for all of us. If your design isn't chosen but the staff feels it's worth developing we might ask for a total redesign based upon earlier designs with stricter requirements you see."

Naruto was about to say something but Vach said, "It may seem illogical on the surface but the system works. It took me ten years to study the nuances of the design process before I understood the logic behind it." Naruto quickly closed his mouth and nodded.

Captain Suzuki said, "Regardless I'm very interested in your design Doctor."

Naruto pulled out and extended memory module and the three officers had to wonder how detailed the design was. As before it took nearly ten minutes to load.

 _'It's probably something monstrous.'_ thought Suzuki.

' _What have you designed nephew?_ ' wondered Vach. ' _The logic behind your previous design was impeccable_.'

Admiral Tolm quietly waited for the design to load and thought, ' _Show me what you've got lad_.'

The computer said, "Loading complete. Shall I display NCC-1500 design A?"

Naruto said, "Yes computer; proceed."

The new light cruiser design appeared and the group of staff officers was shocked. They were expecting a battleship. Suzuki said, "It's very compact. It has only 13 decks, weighs 655,000 metric tons and has a crew of 360 officers and crew."

"Look at the power though." said Vach. "Doctor M'Fau, How much more powerful is your design compared to the _Texas_ class light cruisers?"

"Currently it stands at 20% more powerful Captain Vach." said Naruto.

"….And yet it weighs 75,000 less and can travel at top speeds comparable to the refitted _Enterprise_." said Rear Admiral Tolm. The Admiral turned to Naruto and asked, "How did you frame this design concept Doctor?"

The blonde explained, "I looked at our current shipbuilding program and created a ship halfway between the excellent command cruiser and the underpowered destroyer. I only looked at the old Texas Class light cruiser as a point of reference." Naruto said to the computer, "Computer, display designs B, C, D and E."

The computer displayed images of slightly different designs all based on the original one. Beside the design images were the names: New Scout Cruiser, New Minesweeper, New Commando Cruiser and New Drone Cruiser.

Naruto turned to the Admiral. "The hull is designed to accept extensive modifications into different variants as you specified sir."

"I see that." said Tolm in a tone of disbelief.

Suzuki asked, "What is this AWR option you have listed on the design?"

The blond answered, "Shipboard auxiliary warp reactors to power up the photon torpedoes sir. Provided my classmate decides to develop them I believe all of our photon armed ships could benefit from such an improvement."

Captain Suzuki's jaw dropped and he said after a long pause, "T-that's brilliant! But Tirunze of Tellar went under so we would have to start from the bottom up." ' _Why didn't I think of this? It's so obvious!_ '

"We will have to see if someone bought the patents then." said Vach in a matter of fact tone.

Suzuki said, "We just can't jump into someone else's free enterprises Vach. That's not the way Starfleet works."

Vach countered, "All we have to do is find the person or persons who bought Tirunze out and buy them out. It is the quickest and most logical-"

Naruto said, "Forgive me for interrupting but **_I_** already bought the patents and research materials. If my classmate decides not to develop the idea then I believe I know of a company who will."

"Oh." said Suzuki dumbfounded. "Well, that helps matters…." ' _Just how far ahead have you planned Doctor?_ '

' _It seems that Naruto has a business savvy as well_.' thought Vach to herself. ' _Well done my nephew_ ….'

….

 **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars,** _ **U.S.S. Darwin** _**in FRD-15**

T'Lyra was laying in her bunk thinking as her friend Brea slept in her own bunk in their shared quarters. "I can practically _feel_ my mate's brain working at warp speed. What is he up to?" she whispered aloud. ' _Ever since my telepathy has been expanded I can feel him all the way out here on Mars. This is quite intriguing_.'

At 22:00 hours she called Naruto on her tablet to see what her blonde mate was up to. Naruto picked up and said in a pleased tone, "T'Lyra, how are you?"

"I am well." said T'Lyra with happiness in her eyes. "Do you have time to talk?"

Naruto gave a tiny smile and said, "For you, always. How are things on the _Darwin?"_

"Things are well here." said T'Lyra. "I was more curious as to how things are with you. Since my telepathy has grown I can sense intense moods from you all the way out here in orbit of Mars."

Naruto raised his eyebrows in shock. "How fascinating." he said. "I was having a meeting with Admiral Tolm of the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair earlier. You probably sensed my heightened stress levels."

"Is it anything you can discuss?" asked T'Lyra.

The blonde shook his head. "Not on an open frequency. Perhaps we should see if we can transmit our thoughts to each other instead."

The young couple enjoyed each other's company for the next hour or so before they both decided to turn in for the night.

Naruto went to sleep once again dreaming of his Vulcan Wildflower Princess….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems (also as YPS and Yoyodyne Division) is a ship and engine building corporation in the Federation that existed from at least the 22nd century to the 24th century. (It's also a reference to Buckaroo Banzai and other works by Trek writers).

*② Auxiliary warp reactor and AWR will be used interchangeably. These reactors create warp energy but cannot be used for movement like warp engines.

*③ Auxiliary power reactor and APR will be used interchangeably. These are conventional fusion reactors.

*④ Google: **Miranda Class Starship**

*⑤ Transporter credits: Cadets earn transporter credits to go to places as time passes (traditionally for recreation). They also can lose them for demerits. In this case, Naruto hates to spend credits to go to a place he could walk or ride a transport to if he had the time.

Well, I think this chapter rounds out 2017. I wasn't intending to get it out so soon but suffice it to say I was on a roll. Next chapter will focus more on the _Think Tank_ and their adventures in education at the Starfleet Academy. See you next time. Blue out. 12/27/17


	21. Chapter 21

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter is called **Shadows of the Empire**. Here is chapter 21. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars_** _, _ **U.S.S. Darwin**__ **_in FRD-15_**

 _T'Lyra was laying in her bunk thinking as her friend Brea slept in her own bunk in their shared quarters. "I can practically feel my mate's brain working at warp speed. What is he up to?" she whispered aloud. 'Ever since my telepathy has been expanded I can feel him all the way out here on Mars. This is quite intriguing.'_

 _At 22:00 hours she called Naruto on her tablet to see what her blonde mate was up to. Naruto picked up and said in a pleased tone, "T'Lyra, how are you?"_

 _"I am well." said T'Lyra with happiness in her eyes. "Do you have time to talk?"_

 _Naruto gave a tiny smile and said, "For you, always. How are things on the Darwin?" _

_"Things are well here." said T'Lyra. "I was more curious as to how things are with you. Since my telepathy has grown I can sense intense moods from you all the way out here in orbit of Mars."_

 _Naruto raised his eyebrows in shock. "How fascinating." he said. "I was having a meeting with Admiral Tolm of the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair earlier. You probably sensed my heightened stress levels."_

 _"Is it anything you can discuss?" asked T'Lyra._

 _The blonde shook his head. "Not on an open frequency. Perhaps we should see if we can transmit our thoughts to each other instead."_

 _The young couple enjoyed each other's company for the next hour or so before they both decided to turn in for the night._

 _Naruto went to sleep once again dreaming of his Vulcan Wildflower Princess…._

 _…._

Chapter 21

 **Stardate 2272.240, Romulan Starbase 1, Planet Romulus, Eisn System, Tarod Sector, Romulan Star Empire**

Romulan Admiral Vrex looked out the transparent aluminum window of his office at the newly refitted _Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar_ , a K5R Frigate*①. It was a sleek little ship but it was of Klingon origin. The frigate was refitted with Romulan plasma torpedoes and of course, a cloaking device. As the Klingon type ships were few and far between it was considered prestigious to command one of these ships. He turned to his female secretary and said, "Send for Subcommander Kurenai.*② I have made my decision Liviana."

His secretary Liviana saluted and said, "As you command sir."

Kurenai was very young to have attained her rank. At 22 years of age she already was a Subcommander. She was considered a rising star in the Empire with her meteoric climb through the ranks. Kurenai wore her curly black hair long and had very unusual red eyes. She was blessed with a brilliant strategic and tactical mind and was very beautiful to boot. One of her previous superiors had offered her advancements in exchange for sexual favors but he mysteriously disappeared while on shore leave. Coincidentally Kurenai was promoted to take his place shortly thereafter.

Now Kurenai was very nervous though she was doing her best to hide it. Admiral Vrex had summoned her. She had been serving aboard the War Eagle*③ _RIS Acheron_ as first officer and had just finished a border patrol. Why the Admiral had called upon her was unknown to the young Romulan woman. It was highly unusual for a staff officer of her rank to even _speak_ to an Admiral. Squaring her shoulders Kurenai followed Admiral Vrex's secretary Liviana into the man's office where she stood at attention and saluted crisply. She said, "Subcommander Kurenai reporting as ordered sir."

The gray haired Admiral was still looking out the window seemingly ignoring Kurenai. After a pregnant pause Admiral Vrex said, "At ease Subcommander. Liviana, leave us. The secretary saluted and left. When the door slid shut the Admiral said, "Subcommander Kurenai, stand beside me and look out the window. Speak freely and tell me what you see."

Kurenai stepped forward and said, "I see a sea of stars waiting for the Romulan Star Empire to conquer it."

The Admiral raised an eyebrow at her almost poetic answer. He gave a slight smile and said, "And what do you think of these new Klingon ships like the _Scimitar?_ " He pointed at the K5R docked nearby.

"I believe they are the most powerful ships we have….for now." said Kurenai. "Within a decade our own new designs will overtake and eclipse the ships the Klingons have provided us. It is only a matter of time."

"You have a unique outlook Subcommander Kurenai." said Admiral Vrex. "I know many Commanders and Subcommanders that would gladly give up a limb to command a newly rebuilt Klingon ship."

Kurenai nodded. "As do I sir. They are concerned with personal prestige rather than serving the Emperor."

Vrex nodded in agreement. "I have been reviewing your records Kurenai. I had seven candidates in mind to command the _RIS Scimitar_. Many are related to nobility in the ruling houses. Their relatives feel those candidates should have the _Scimitar_ to bring glory to their families. After careful scrutiny of their records I came to a decision. _You_ are the officer I want in command of that ship."

Kurenai's red eyes widened and she bowed low, "I would be deeply honored to command the _RIS Scimitar_ sir."

"Then you have a ship and crew to work up on the _Scimitar's_ post rebuild shakedown cruise Subcommander Kurenai." said Admiral Vrex. He handed her the orders that verified her promotion to command a starship for the first time. Also included was the itinerary for the ship's shakedown cruise….

….

 **Stardate 2272.241, Starfleet Academy, Starfleet Education Hall, _Class: Survival I & II_, San Francisco, Planet Earth, United Federation of Planets**

The entire _Think Tank_ was dreading Survival Class. Why? Their not so great instructor Lieutenant Franz who had an axe to grind with them. That was when a big, burly man in his fifties ambled into the room. He had full commander's bars on his lapels and a thick gray beard and mustache. He spoke in a gravelly voice that carried a great deal of authority, "Good afternoon Class, I'm Commander Jonathan Carmichael and I'll be your instructor from now on." He walked across the front of the classroom like a big predator and said, "I've looked over your first semester of this class and I would call it a disaster."

The entire class sweat dropped….

"The method of teaching the class last semester was a waste of your time and that of Starfleet's." said the big man. "You can't read a book and be thrown out in the field. This is about _survival; **realistic survival**_. We're going to be spending ten days in Antarctica camping. I will be there with you teaching about polar survival. Together we'll learn to live off the land and make do with the barest of materials. Let me give you an example. Let's say your nice, cozy survival tent is destroyed or damaged for some reason or other. What do you do for shelter so you don't die of exposure? On old Earth the Inuit people built their homes out of snow called igloos. The same could be said of Andorians near the poles of Andor though they had other names for their homes depending on the region. There are numerous similar examples throughout the galaxy."

"I am a _survivalist_ and I will teach you how to be the same." said Carmichael. "Read your two chapters on Polar Survival I  & II tonight and be ready for a trip to Antarctica in two days where we will put that knowledge to the test. Where that fails is when you will _really_ start to learn. It's going to be rough but this is to keep you alive so learn your lessons well. This rest class is study hall so you can read your lesson's text. Your lives _will_ depend on it someday." Carmichael then lumbered back to his seat at the instructor's desk and said, "If you have a question then speak up and I will answer you."

Rafi raised her hand and asked, "Why are we reading the chapters on Polar Survival I & II when there are two sessions?"

Carmichael said in a gruff tone, "The first reason is because I said so. The second reason is your first semester was wasted so we're making up for lost time. Trust me, you can handle both the basics and the advanced in one trip."

Numerous questions were raised but the grizzled instructor answered them all without missing a beat.

' _This old guy is kind of cool_.' thought Samui. The rest of the class felt the same….

….

 **Stardate 2272.248, Anarctica, Scott Base**

A week later the _Think Tank_ was halfway through their polar training and was working hard hunting seals, fish and penguins for food. The vegetarians in the group were rather disgusted with eating animal flesh but Carmichael assured them that eating whatever was available was what they would have to do in a real life situation. They also dispensed with the survival tents and rations by this point. They still had their phasers and communicators but that was it.

Carmichael invited Shar to lecture a bit to the others about how they lived at the poles of Andor. It was hard, brutal living but the _Think Tank_ soon adapted to their environs and they were living in igloos for the time being. Shelly Wilson was in the same igloo as M'rella (who wished she had thicker fur), Samui Schrodinger and Rafi. Shelly said, "I have to say that Commander Carmichael really knows his stuff. I've learned more on this trip than I did the whole last semester."

"I agree." said Rafi. "The old man is harsh but I feel confident we could survive under these conditions. What do you suppose we'll do next?"

"The Commander didn't give us an itinerary so who knows?" said M'rella. "I just hope it's warmer."

After ten days the _Think Tank_ was onboard a heavy shuttle and on their way back to the Academy. Despite a bit of frostbite; they were in genuinely in high spirits and felt they'd really accomplished something. Antarctica had been a challenge but they had overcome it.

They found that Commander Carmichael was the real deal and learning from an expert was light years ahead of a rank amateur like Lieutenant Franz….

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: Stardate 2272.253. We have returned to Starfleet Academy and though tired; we as a group feel we have made real progress. I have been investigating the disappearance of Lieutenant Franz at the behest of the others in the Think Tank and it seems that he is no longer stationed at Starfleet Academy. Franz faced a board of inquiry and lost a grade in rank as a result of his actions last semester. As a cadet I do not he authority to delve any further into the subject but suffice it to say he will not be teaching here anymore. Regardless he was an inferior instructor anyway. Conversely Commander Carmichael is outstanding in both knowledge and teaching ability. I for one believe we are fortunate to have him._

….

 **Stardate 2272.259, Romulan Frigate _RIS Scimitar_ , Nimbus Sector, Romulan Star Empire**

 _Ship's Log Stardate 2272.259: Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar. Subcommander Kurenai reporting. My crew is performing well considering most of them are transfers from other vessels that are unfamiliar with the Klingon layout of the Scimitar. As we are only starting our third week of our shakedown cruise it is to be expected. I am generally pleased with my staff though there are rough edges that need to be worked out…. _

The _RIS Scimitar_ was on her shakedown cruise for the customary 90 days before joining the fleet proper in an assigned squadron. Subcommander Kurenai was whipping the contingent of 200 officers and crew aboard the _Scimitar_ into shape to make sure her ship and crew were the best and most cohesive unit in the Romulan Navy. Kurenai's first officer was a Centurion named Vandus. He was much older than Kurenai and hadn't ever attempted for a command position. Vandus was quite happy to serve in the fleet as a first officer and had for decades under many commanders.

Kurenai was running her crew through combat drills daily and they were starting to become the unit that Kurenai wanted them to be. It was then that the _Scimitar_ received an unusual set of orders. It was a coded audio only message from Romulan High Command: [ _RIS Scimitar;_ proceed to the Chaltok System to the planet Chaltok IV. The Research Outpost there is under attack by unknown forces.]

Centurion Vandus turned to Kurenai and said, "Subcommander Kurenai, this ship is still on its shakedown cruise; we aren't ready for real combat yet."

' _It's no wonder Vandus has never been promoted with an attitude like that_.' she thought with a smirk. "Fortune favors us. The forge of combat will serve to temper the _Scimitar_ into a mighty blade for the Empire." she said with authority. Kurenai pivoted in her command chair and started giving out her orders rapid fire:

"Communications, inform High Command that the _Scimitar_ acknowledges her orders."

"Navigation, plot a course for Chaltok IV."

"Helm, once the course is laid in make flank speed until we reach the edge of the Chaltok System where we will engage our cloaking device."

Kurenai got on the overhead and said with a hard tone on her voice, "This is Subcommander Kurenai speaking. Yellow alert. This is not a drill. All stations prepare for possible combat. That is all."

Vandus sweat dropped. The Centurion thought to himself, ' _That is all…?_ '

….

An hour later Kurenai was rapidly reading over the information on Chaltok IV on her monitor. ' _Chaltok IV, site of the polaric ion energy experiment nine years ago. It almost destroyed the planet. Who knows what doomsday device they are working on now? Scientists do foolish things at times_ ….'

The _Scimitar_ was under cloak with all weapons charged as it crested the blue-green world Chaltok IV. As they cleared the horizon they saw an Orion Pirate Cruiser. Kurenai ordered, "Sciences keep the sensors passive and try to identify that cruiser as we close the range."

Her sub lieutenant at the sensor station said, "Ship identified; it is the Orion Pirate Cruiser _Death Sting_ which operates with the Pharaoh Pirate Cartel."

"What is the _Death Sting's_ weapons status?" asked Kurenai.

The Sensor Tech answered, "They appear to be at blue alert. They are in geosynchronous orbit over the research outpost conducting landing operations via transporter. Their shields are down at present. Our current range 90,000 kilometers."

Kurenai ordered, "Close us to 50,000 kilometers and begin uncloaking. Activate fire control the moment we begin uncloaking. Once we have a lock launch our two plasma torpedoes and fire the two forward phasers. Gunnery aim for the engines. I want their power systems knocked out."

….

 **Orion Pirate Cruiser _Death Sting_ , bridge **

"Boarding parties have landed Captain. There is no sign of resistance other than them barricading the research outpost and sending out distress calls which we have jammed." said the first officer.

The Captain grunted, "Without any Romulan ships in the Nimbus Sector targets like these are easy pickings. I'm going to the galley to grab some chow. Page me if anything interesting happens."

"Aye sir." answered the first officer as the Captain took the turbolift down.

….

 ** _RIS Scimitar_** **, bridge**

Kurenai said calmly, "You all have your orders. Begin dropping cloaking device in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. _Execute!_

….

 **Orion Pirate Cruiser _Death Sting_ , bridge **

"A Romulan vessel just appeared aft of us! _**RAISE THE SHIELDS BEFORE**_ -"

The bridge crew died in an instant. Two plasma torpedoes followed by two phasers from the _Scimitar's_ bow completely demolished the Orion Pirate ship and sent it spinning out of control and out of orbit of Chaltok IV.

….

 ** _RIS Scimitar_** **, bridge**

The crew cheered as the hulk of the Orion ship spun away from them and detonated. First officer Vandus said, "A textbook ambush Subcommander."

Kurenai smiled in victory and said, "Yellow alert. That was the first of many victories for the _Scimitar_ Centurion Vandus. Mark my words. Now let's get the research outpost clear of any remaining Orions."

….

 _Ship's Log Suplemental: Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar. Subcommander Kurenai reporting. Today the RIS Scimitar was blooded and my crew is in high spirits. We are currently in orbit of Chaltok IV under cloak in case of more pirate activity. We managed to capture seven Orion personnel from the surface and the rest were eliminated without any casualties to my crew or the outpost scientists. The pirates seemed to be aware that no regular fleet units were in the Nimbus Sector and were shocked at our sudden appearance. I am concerned that we have a security leak and have informed Romulan High Command of my suspicions. There is no other reason the pirates would have been so lax. Had they been on alert and had their weapons and shields on standby the battle would not have been so easy…._

….

 **Stardate 2272.262, **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars**** , _**U.S.S. Darwin**_ **in FRD-15,** **United Federation of Planets**

T'Lyra watched as the new warp core was installed via work bees into the warp shaft of the _Darwin_ that she helped build. Technicians were all over making sure that everything was aligned to the last millimeter. It was very interesting to her and once the core was seated the hundreds of attachment points were locked into place. The construction crew cheered when it was announced that the fitting of the warp core was a success.

Brea said, "That was awesome Chief Rodney!"

He chuckled and said, "These outside warp core techs are really something. That's how to do it right."

T'Lyra asked, "How long will it be before the core is hooked into the main and subsystems? We already have the pylons installed for the engines."

The old Chief said, "There will be two to four weeks of testing before the core in certified for service and hooked into the warp power shafts to the engines. If the tiniest thing is wrong with it then it could spell disaster for the ship. There was once I saw a refitted core go so bad that they had to eject it during the test phase. The whole Fleet repair Dock and the old light cruiser _Macedonia_ shook like an earthquake when the core exploded several kilometers away. _It was scary_."

"I've never heard of such a thing happening sir." said another Engineer's Mate.

Rodney simply said, "Starfleet doesn't like to talk about failures like that. It makes us look bad when trillions of credits go up in smoke. –Looks like they are lighting it up for the first time."

The warp core slowly began to glow as the technicians made adjustments. Soon it was humming at a steady pace and the glowing leveled out in a light blue color.

"The dilithium crystals are in place but there is no antimatter involved yet." said Chief Rodney.

"It sounds like a long and drawn out process." said Brea Mathuin.

The old Chief replied, "It has to be."

….

 **Stardate 2272.270, Romulan Starbase 1, Planet Romulus, Eisn System, Tarod Sector, Romulan Star Empire**

Admiral Vrex saw the _RIS Scimitar_ cruise gracefully into dock with the Starbase from his office window. The frigate had been out on its shakedown cruise for a month and was there to resupply. The Admiral was concerned about a possible leak in the Empire regarding Fleet Movements. The first person to pick up on this was Subcommander Kurenai and the Orion prisoners she brought back confirmed her suspicions. Vrex wanted to keep the investigation in Navy hands and had assigned Commander Charvenek*④ to start an inquiry. She had already started but unfortunately the Tal Shiar*⑤ dispatched a full Colonel to 'help' with the investigation.

The Tal Shiar Colonel's name was Thei and he didn't trust anybody including Admiral Vrex. Likewise Vrex didn't trust Colonel Thei a bit either. When Kurenai arrived with the prisoners she was greeted by Commander Charvenek. The two exchanged salutes and Charvenek smiled. "Welcome Kurenai; back when you served under me you were just a Centurion helmsman. Now you are a Subcommander and have your own ship. Very nicely done."

Kurenai bowed. "Thank you for your praise Commander; I am honored."

"Are the prisoners with you?" asked the Commander.

The red eyed beauty shook her head. "They are still in the brig of the _Scimitar_ pending the transfer orders from Starbase security."

' _Always by the book_.' thought Charvenek. She said, "Walk with me Kurenai. There is much to discuss." As the two women walked along Charvenek lowered her voice so only Kurenai could hear. She said, "The Admiral agrees with your assessment that there is a security leak. I was assigned to the investigation but the Tal Shiar got involved. A Colonel named Thei will probably be breathing down your neck so be prepared."

Kurenai nodded and said, "I will be ready."

Hours later the prisoners had been transferred and Kurenai had the distinct displeasure of meeting Colonel Thei. He was very average looking but his beady eyes were hard and constantly moving. Kurenai suspected the man was paranoid from his demeanor. Thei was questioning her and asked. "How did you know to be near the Chaltok System to begin with? It seems awfully convenient that you were in the right place at the right time."

Kurenai bristled slightly and said to Thei, "The course we plotted was between Starbase 1 and Base Station 15 where we were to resupply. It cuts right through the Nimbus Sector's dead center and Chaltok IV was easily reached from our flightpath."

Thei said, "Then why did you go to the Chaltok System to begin with?"

The Subcommander leaned back a bit and she said, "We received a coded message from Romulan High Command that ordered us to go to Chaltok IV because they were under attack from unknown forces."

The Tal Shiar officer smiled coldly. "Romulan High Command never sent out such a message Subcommander. This could look very bad for you."

Kurenai's red eyes flashed with anger. "It was in High Command's code and frequency. The ship's computer can verify that. You are lying Colonel."

Colonel Thei looked like he'd been slapped, "How dare you accuse me! I am with the Tal Shiar!"

"Retrieve the records from the _Scimitar_ and you'll see that I'm right." said Kurenai smugly.

….

 **Communications room, Starbase 1**

Colonel Thei, Kurenai, Admiral Vrex and Commander Charvenek were listening to the message sent to the Scimitar. A Tal Shiar Major named Rul and Starbase 1's top communications specialist Centurion Taris was examining the audio playback from the _Scimitar's_ computers.

[ _RIS Scimitar;_ proceed to the Chaltok System to the planet Chaltok IV. The Research Outpost there is under attack by unknown forces.]

Major Rul said, "This message is 100% authentic. Romulan High Command must have sent it from the Capitol."

Thei looked constipated and said, "That's impossible! High Command's records show no such message was transmitted."

The communications specialist Taris turned to the Major Rul and said, "The message was piggybacked onto High Command's frequency. There is a three millisecond delay that you missed Major."

Major Rul blushed in embarrassment and Colonel Thei looked triumphant. "There is the proof I needed."

Centurion Taris said, "The only reason I could detect it was because our equipment is tied in with special sensors. There is no way a frigate like the _Scimitar_ could have detected this anomaly. I would wager that only a command ship our scout ship would have the equipment to do so."

Colonel Thei looked peeved at his Major and said, "Verify what he's saying idiot!"

After the communications specialist Taris explained to Major Rul what to do it was confirmed. The Major said, "The evidence is conclusive that the orders _did not_ come from Romulan High Command at the Capital. It is also conclusive that Subcommander Kurenai and the crew of the _Scimitar_ had no way of knowing. They were just following orders."

Kurenai said, "Then there is someone in there that is aware of the pirate situation and is trying to remedy it. The question is who." She glared at Thei and said, "You owe me a _big_ apology mister."

Thei just snorted dismissively and said, "Subcommander Kurenai and the crew of the _Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar_ are cleared of blame."

The red eyed Subcommander said to the Centurion Taris, "If I were to give you the _exact_ coordinates that the _Scimitar_ was at when we received the false message could you account for the three millisecond delay?"

"It might be possible." Taris responded.

Kurenai got on her communicator and said, "Kurenai to _Scimitar_ , do you copy?"

Her communicator crackled. " _This is RIS Scimitar._ _Centurion Vandus here Subcommander. How may I serve?_ "

"I need the **exact** coordinates of the _Scimitar_ at the time we received the coded message." said Kurenai.

"Complying." said her first officer. "Stand by."

Five minutes later the Starbase 1 communications specialist had the data and was plotting out coordinates on the map that the message could have come from. It took nearly an hour but after using the process of elimination Taris came up with an answer. "Remus communications relay tower is one very obvious option. The other option is Listening Outpost 53 in the Japori System near the Federation Neutral Zone."

Colonel Thei gasped. "Outpost 53 is right in the center of the Pharaoh Pirate Clan zone of operations."

Admiral Vrex had them zoom the display on the Listening Outpost. He looked over at Thei and said. "For you to know that so readily you must have a spy there Thei."

Thei looked away and said, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'll bet." said the Admiral. He turned to Commander Charvenek and said, "Get your squadron ready to sortie out to Listening Outpost 53 and clean it out. I believe there is a pirate infestation that needs to be dealt with."

….

 ** _RIS Praetorian,_** **Bridge**

Commander Charvenek had her squadron of three KR type heavy cruisers*⑥ ready to go within the hour. The _RIS Praetorian_ was her flagship and with it were the _RIS Patrician_ and _RIS Kestral_ which rounded out her squadron. Flying escort to this powerful cruiser group was the frigate _RIS Scimitar_ with Kurenai in command. Colonel Thei was also on the _Praetorian_ as an 'observer' and Major Rul was aboard the _Scimitar_.

Charvenek transmitted to the other ships, "This is Commander Charvenek to all vessels. We will be travelling to Romulan Listening Outpost 53 in the Japori System under cloak so as not to alert any pirates or Federation ships across the Neutral Zone. All ships fall into diamond formation and match speeds with the _Praetorian_. Ahead warp factor four."

….

 **Stardate 2272.271, Azure Sector, Japori System, Romulan Listening Outpost 53**

Centurion Darit was making his rounds and thinking about the next shipment of iridium that would go to his family, the Noble House of Neral via the Orion Pirates of the Pharaoh Cartel. He'd been stuck wasting years of his career on this tiny outpost built into an asteroid in the Japori System and was sick to death of it. That is until recently. It wasn't hard to talk his 20 crewmembers into making a deal with the Orion Pharaoh Clan once they saw how much money there was to be made.

Generally it was business as usual at the outpost watching and listening in case the Federation decided to try something. The recent change was in the last two months when they started listening to Romulan High Command transmissions as well. It didn't take long to find out what the Imperial Fleet was doing and selling off that information to the Pharaoh Clan Cartel proved to be extremely lucrative.

Darit was making sure that the pirates weren't attacking anything of excessive military value but the small independent operations were useless to the Empire in his opinion so as far as he was concerned the Orions could have a field day.

...

 **Stardate 2272.275, Azure Sector, Japori System**

Four days later the Frigate _RIS Scimitar_ knifed through space and dropped her cloak a mere 50,000 Kilometers away from Outpost 53 much to the shock of Centurion Darit and his crew. They were hailed _Scimitar_ and after that the Outpost opened hailing frequencies. Darit then saw Kurenai's lovely face on the screen. She said, "This is Subcommander Kurenai of the _Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar_. I wish to speak to your commanding officer Centurion Darit."

Darit was sweating. _'Have they found me out?_ ' Putting on his game face he said, "I am Centurion Darit; how may I be of service Subcommander Kurenai?"

"High Command picked up some suspicious pirate activity in this region and the _Scimitar_ has been sent to evacuate you and your crew." said Kurenai. "We fear they may have broken some of our codes which puts you in real danger. Prepare to receive a landing party to help you evacuate."

Centurion Darit was terrified. _'If they download the data of our transmissions then we'll all be executed!_ ' "This is a real shock to me Subcommander." said the Centurion. "We haven't noticed a significant amount of any sort of activity, Orion or otherwise. There must be a mistake."

Kurenai's red eyes blazed angrily. "Are you questioning your superiors at Romulan High Command _Centurion?_ "

" _N-no_ , of course not!" Darit practically squealed. "Let us verify your orders and my crew and I will begin evacuation procedures. Please stand by." The minute the screen went blank Darit told his communications officer, "Contact the Pharoah Clan on a tight coded frequency. We need to get out of here. Do it at the same time that we transmit to Romulan High Command so it will appear to be one message."

...

 ** _RIS Scimitar_** **, Bridge**

"They just sent out two messages; one went to Romulan High Command and the other is in an unknown code." said communications.

Kurenai sighed, "Leave it up to the _Praetorian_ to figure it out. We are a distraction. The goal is to draw any pirates out if they are in the vicinity." She turned to the rather anxious looking Majar Rul and said, "One of yours is in there and needs to be extracted correct?"

Rul simply nodded and said, "We need to beam them out."

Kurenai said, "Helm, take us into transporter range so we can beam one out. Major, if you have some coded message to send then wait until we're within 10,000 kilometers."

Rul asked Kurenai quietly, "How did you know Subcommander?"

Kurenai raised an eyebrow and said, "I trust my instincts. Besides, there is no other reason you would be aboard the _Scimitar._ You Tal Shiar types are entirely too predictable."

"We are in range Subcommander." said the helmsman.

Kurenai nodded and said, "Centurion Vandus; take Major Rul to the transporter room to take care of his task."

Rul sighed. "I'll make this quick. Tal Shiar Major Maiell is on the station and we need to get her out."

 **….**

 **Romulan Listening Outpost 53**

Derit was anxiously waiting to hear from the Pharaoh Clan Cartel when his head communications tech said, "A tight beam transmission was just sent from the _Scimitar!_ "

"What does it say?" asked Centurion Derit in a panic.

"It's in an unknown code sir." said the tech. "I'm attempting to decode. -A transmission in the same code has been transmitted from within this outpost!"

"A spy…?" asked Derit in a hollow tone. "Locate the point of transmission. We have to-"

"The _Scimitar_ has activated transporters sir." said the sensor tech.

"Damn it!" roared Derit. "We have to stop them!"

….

 ** _RIS Scimitar_** **, transporter room**

Centurion Vandus saw a pretty young woman in an enlisted uniform appear on the transporter platform with a pair of memory modules. She said, "Tal Shiar Major Maiell reporting."

Major Rul said, "Welcome aboard Major. I trust those memory modules are the evidence?"

Maiell nodded. "Take me to the bridge."

Vandus nodded and said, "Follow me."

….

 **Bridge**

Kurenai pivoted in her chair and saw the turbolift open revealing the two Tal Shiar Majors and Vandus. She said, "Welcome aboard the _Scimitar_ Major Maiell. Is anyone in the outpost innocent of treason?"

Maiell shook her head and said, "Everyone aboard the outpost is in on the double dealing with the Pharaoh Cartel. I'd advise destroying the outpost from here. They are calling the pirates for assistance."

Kurenai gave a cold smile and said, "We are counting on pirates appearing. Watch and learn Major."

….

 **Romulan Listening Outpost 53**

"Who beamed out? Take a head count immediately!" ordered Centurion Derit. Within minutes they figured out it was Maiell. "Damn her, she tipped the Navy off somehow."

"Long range scans show two Orion Light Raiders heading for us. They appear to be silent running." said the Sensor Tech.

Derit said, "Thank the gods, we'll make it out of this yet. Two Light Raiders should be more than a match for the frigate. Start jamming so the _Scimitar_ can't call for help."

A static filled transmission came in from the Scimitar. Kurenai's face had an angry look upon it. She said, "Your life is forfeit on grounds of treason traitors. Prepare to die."

….

 ** _RIS Praetorian,_** **Bridge**

"The two Light Raiders are closing at flank speed Commander Charvenek." said her sciences officer.

"Plot and intercept course helm. All ships red alert." said Charvenek. "Those pirates are solely focused on the _Scimitar_."

"The _Scimitar_ is being jammed by the outpost." said the science officer.

Charvenek nodded. "Kurenai has her orders, it is of no consequence."

….

As the two Light Raiders screamed towards the (apparently) unprepared _Scimitar_ ; Commander Charvenek's squadron uncloaked in front of them. The Commander said, "All ships fire at will."

….The two Orion ships were vaporized seconds later in a mass of plasma torpedo and phaser fire from the three heavy cruisers.

 **….**

 **Romulan Listening Outpost 53**

The traitorous Centurion Derit saw his life flash before his eyes as the _Scimitar_ unleashed her two plasma torpedoes. A second later the outpost went up like a miniature sun. The traitors didn't even have time to scream….

….

 ** _RIS Scimitar_** **, Bridge**

The viewscreen showed the smoldering crater where Outpost 53 head been. Nodding to herself that the scans showed no life was left; Kurenai said, "Helm bring us 120 degrees to port and set in a course to join up with the _Praetorian_. Our job is done here."

 _Ship's Log Stardate 2272,275: Romulan Imperial Ship Scimitar. Subcommander Kurenai reporting. We have been ordered to return to Starbase 1 where we will resupply and continue our shakedown cruise as per our original orders. The destruction of Listening Outpost 53 was a waste of materials but will keep other potential traitors against the Empire in line. The Pharaoh Pirate Cartel is anything but shut down in Romulan space but the debacle cost them a cruiser and two frigates so it is my opinion the operation was a success._

 _…._

 **Stardate 2272.280, Romulan Starbase 1, Planet Romulus, Eisn System, Tarod Sector, Romulan Star Empire**

The _RIS Scimitar_ was docked at Starbase 1 once again. Kurenai and her crew were glad to have the two Tal Shiar officers off of their ship. For this reason it was a real shock when Colonel Thei nominated Subcommander Kurenai to receive _Imperial Commendation Medal_ for ' _a job well done_.' Kurenai also was visited by a different Tal Shiar Colonel. Her name was Eviak. The red eyed beauty was less than thrilled to have another Tal Shiar Officer anywhere near her or aboard the _Scimitar_ but Kurenai remained cordial and invited Colonel Eviak into her office.

Kurenai sat down and said, "I welcome you aboard the _RIS Scimitar_ Colonel Eviak. What brings an officer of your stature aboard a lowly frigate?"

Eviak smiled and said, "I'll get straight to the point Subcommander Kurenai. The Tal Shiar is interested in you and furthering your career."

The red eyed beauty **_really_** wanted a shot of Romulan Ale at this point. "Why would the Tal Shiar have interest in me personally?"

The Colonel smirked and said, "You've already proven to have a sharp mind and excellent instincts. Your intellect and planning abilities are far above average. You detected and deduced Major Rul's mission and aided him in executing it without any previous knowledge. Above all else you are utterly ruthless against enemies of the Empire; _even if they are other Romulans_." After letting that sink in a moment Colonel Eviak said, "The Tal Shiar could use an officer like you in the future Kurenai. It's just something to bear in mind."

"I'll remember that Colonel." said Kurenai warily. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Eviak nodded. She said, "Once the _Scimitar_ has completed her shakedown cruise a Tal Shiar liaison officer may be stationed aboard for covert missions. We believe you can carry them out without too much difficulty. I look forward to seeing your continued rise through the ranks Subcommander Kurenai. Good day, I'll show myself out."

Kurenai had a lot to think about….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Google: **Klingon F5 Frigate** A K5R is an imported Klingon ship used by the Romulans.

*② Yes, Kurenai is a Romulan in this one. With her features I found it was easy to see her with Romulan pointed ears and sharply upswept eyebrows.

*③ Google: **Romulan War Eagle**

*④ Commander Charvenek was the female commander of the three ship Romulan squadron in the TOS Episode ' _The Enterprise Incident_.'

*⑤ Tal Shiar: The Tal Shiar is the secretive intelligence agency of the Romulan Star Empire, and was the most highly respected and feared organization within the Star Empire. Their main objective was to protect the Empire's security from both external and internal threats using whatever covert (or overt) means necessary.

*⑥ Google: **Klingon D6** A KR Cruiser is another imported Klingon ship used by the Romulans.

A lot of footnotes this chapter about the Romulans. It looks like I unintentionally lied about last chapter being the last one of the year. Inspiration hit me out of the blue and this chapter is the result. I may start introducing other characters in the Romulan and Klingon Empires down the line. We will see how it turns out. See you next time. Blue out. 12/29/17


	22. Chapter 22

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The marathon continues. Here is chapter 22. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2272.280, Romulan Starbase 1, Planet Romulus, Eisn System, Tarod Sector, Romulan Star Empire_**

 _The RIS Scimitar was docked at Starbase 1 once again. Kurenai and her crew were glad to have the two Tal Shiar officers off of their ship. For this reason it was a real shock when Colonel Thei nominated Subcommander Kurenai to receive Imperial Commendation Medal for 'a job well done.' Kurenai also was visited by a different Tal Shiar Colonel. Her name was Eviak. The red eyed beauty was less than thrilled to have another Tal Shiar Officer anywhere near her or aboard the Scimitar but Kurenai remained cordial and invited Colonel Eviak into her office._

 _Kurenai sat down and said, "I welcome you aboard the RIS Scimitar Colonel Eviak. What brings an officer of your stature aboard a lowly frigate?"_

 _Eviak smiled and said, "I'll get straight to the point Subcommander Kurenai. The Tal Shiar is interested in you and furthering your career."_

 _The red eyed beauty **really** wanted a shot of Romulan Ale at this point. "Why would the Tal Shiar have interest in me personally?"_

 _The Colonel smirked and said, "You've already proven to have a sharp mind and excellent instincts. Your intellect and planning abilities are far above average. You detected and deduced Major Rul's mission and aided him in executing it without any previous knowledge. Above all else you are utterly ruthless against enemies of the Empire; even if they are other Romulans." After letting that sink in a moment Colonel Eviak said, "The Tal Shiar could use an officer like you in the future Kurenai. It's just something to bear in mind."_

 _"I'll remember that Colonel." said Kurenai warily. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"_

 _Eviak nodded. She said, "Once the Scimitar has completed her shakedown cruise a Tal Shiar liaison officer may be stationed aboard for covert missions. We believe you can carry them out without too much difficulty. I look forward to seeing your continued rise through the ranks Subcommander Kurenai. Good day, I'll show myself out."_

 _Kurenai had a lot to think about…._

….

Chapter 22

 **Stardate 2272.281, Starfleet Academy Simulation Hall, San Francisco, Planet Earth, United Federation of Planets**

The _Think Tank_ found themselves in an unusual situation. The Fourth Years were sprinkled about the various simulation groups to share their experience with the younger cadets. The command group was on friendly terms with the Fourth Year Jackie Nodaway but hadn't been introduced to her friend Ozumi Otome. Jackie seemed excited to be working with them as did Otome. Commander Triella Jackson said, "Pipe down you two Fourth Years. Your job is to teach your underclassman how it's done in the simulator. This isn't a school dance."

Nodaway cringed slightly and saluted, "Yes Ma'am Commander!" _'No wonder they call Commander Jackson the **Meat Grinder**_.'

Otome followed suit and mirrored Jackie's salute before the pair were seated.

Jackson looked around the room and said, "Today you'll be aboard the Imperial Klingon Vessel _IKV Darkslayer_. She saw Nodaway and Ozumi deflate slightly and smirked. Your assignment will be to hunt down an enemy cruiser that has been harassing Klingon shipping. The rest you'll learn yourselves. Head for the simulation room. Since you aren't used to working together I'll grant you twenty minutes to introduce yourselves."

….

The bridge of the _IKV Darkslayer_ held good memories for the _Think Tank_. They'd never lost in their trusty Klingon D7C command cruiser. Conversely Jackie and Otome were less than thrilled considering they had bad luck with Klingon vessels in general. Jackie said "Alright everybody go to your regular posts."

Rafi said, "We haven't drawn straws yet Upperclassman Nodaway."

"Drawn….straws…?" asked Otome in disbelief. "You mean you don't have assigned stations worked out?"

"No, we always rotate so everyone has a chance at every duty station." said Samui.

'….' thought the two Fourth Years. Jackie said, "Is there one of you that is the best at Klingon Tactics?"

M'rella said in her usual friendly way, "Naruto is the best at being a Klingon Captain." she chuckled and said. "Even Commander Jackson thinks so."

Nodaway motioned to Naruto and said, "You are the Captain Naruto; I'll be your first officer." Naruto nodded and took the Command chair/throne. Eventually they ended up with Rafi at the helm, Samui at navigation, Shar at the sciences station and M'rella took over communications. Otome took the auxiliary gunner's station that was rarely used so she could take part of the load off Samui at navigation.

The members of the _Think Tank_ were less than thrilled that their usual system was shoved aside but obeyed their upperclassman. The simulation soon began….

….

" _Ship's Log; Stardate 2722.281. Captain Naruto of the Imperial Klingon Vessel IKV Darkslayer reporting. We have received intelligence reports that an enemy cruiser has been attacking our shipping lanes on the Federation border. Our objective is to destroy our capture the enemy vessel causing these problems in our territory_." Naruto quickly pivoted his command throne to Shar and said, "Sciences; get me some long range scans of this territory. I want to know what is around us as quickly as possible."

Shar nodded at the sciences station and said, "We are skirting the edge of the Klingon/Federation Neutral Zone in the Morska System. There is one planet also named Morska which is a mining colony/prison world."

"Any other vessels in the area?" asked Naruto.

"Only two large freighters in orbit of Planet Morska." replied Shar. "They seem to be unloading supplies via transporters and shuttlecraft."

Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra in the low light of the command cruiser's bridge. He said, "On screen Shar. Give me a tactical."

The viewscreen lit up showing the two large freighters sitting sedately in orbit. Naruto frowned and said, "Drop us to sublight helm. We are going to silent running. Sciences keep monitoring our passive sensors."

As the lights dimmed Jackie Nodaway said, "Shouldn't we hail those freighters to inform them we are here Captain?"

Naruto replied, "Not at this point First Officer. What they don't know won't hurt them. If that cruiser is in the system they'll be listening for communications and locate us."

Otome asked, "Captain, why weren't we informed of where we are and why by Commander Jackson?"

"Commander Jackson handicaps us by not telling us where we will be." said Rafi. "She says not knowing the terrain will help us adapt quickly or be destroyed."

Otome cringed at the answer….

"Two ships just entered the system." said Shar. "They appear to be a federation _Texas_ class light cruiser and a _Saladin_ class destroyer."

The viewscreen zoomed in on the two ships and Naruto said, "Navigation; plot a course to intercept. The destroyer goes first."

"We are outnumbered and outgunned." said Jackie. "We must be cautious."

Naruto said, "We have the advantage in both maneuverability and electronic warfare. We will put it to use."

Shar interjected, "They are raising shields and heading straight for Planet Morska. It is safe to assume they are arming weapons as well."

"Those freighters are sitting ducks!" said Jackie.

Samui said calmly, "The two federation ships haven't noticed us or are intentionally ignoring us."

"Load a scatterpack shuttle*① with six type one drones and load the drone racks. Red alert." said Naruto. "Power us up. ECM to level six to throw off their aim."

The blonde continued. "Gunnery officer; overload the disruptors and stand by. When I order you to fire concentrate on the destroyer's weapons and hull. Forget about the warp engine for now. Fire off the drones and scatterpack shuttle as soon as possible." Naruto pivoted in his throne to Rafi. "Helm ahead warp factor 2." Like a crouching tiger, the _IKV Darkslayer_ leapt forward to pounce….

"Scatterpack is away sir." said Shar. "The two type one drones are away."

"We are at 80,000 kilometers and closing Captian." said Rafi.

"The destroyer is turning to face us Captain." said Jackie. "I advise firing our disruptors now before the destroyer can fire her photons."

"Negative First Officer Nodaway." said the blonde. "Let the drones soften them up first. Sciences; as soon as our two drone have attained lock on have the scatterpack shuttle launch its drones."

"The destroyer is firing photons at 70,000 kilometers." said Samui. "With our ECM active there is a 25% chance they will hit." The _Darkslayer_ shook from the impact of two photon torpedoes.

"Our forward shield is down 57% Captain." said Nodaway looking at her readings, "If they fire phasers then-"

"They won't if they want to survive." said Naruto. "They have to use their phasers to destroy the drones."

"The destroyer has fired all six of her phasers at the drones." said Shar. "They took out three." Five drones have impacted on their number one and two shields. Both shields are down and the destroyer has taken moderate internal damage. I've identified the destroyer as _NCC-511 U.S.S. Alexander_."

"Gunnery officer; fire the disruptors!" commanded Naruto. Four green beams of destruction launched from the _IKV Darkslayer_ and pounded the already damaged _U.S.S. Alexander_.

"The _Alexander_ is crippled. She's suffered 73% damage." said Shar. "The enemy light cruiser is coming around to face us. They are at 100,000 kilometers."

Naruto nodded. "Rafi pass the _Alexander_ on her starboard side. Gunnery fire the two starboard waist phasers at the destroyer when we go by."

Two blue phaser beams lashed out and further crippled the _Alexander_ as they passed.

"The light cruiser is firing photons at long range sir." said Jackie. She looked tense and added, "Both photons missed."

Naruto nodded and said, "Rafi turn us 60 degrees to starboard. I don't want that light cruiser hitting our weakened front shield." the blonde pondered for a moment and said, "Sciences get me the name of that light cruiser."

"It's _NCC-903 U.S.S. Wales_ Captain Naruto." said Shar.

"The _U.S.S. Alexander_ is trying to escape sir." said Otome. "Should we try to finish it off?"

"Negative gunnery." replied Naruto. "The light cruiser takes precedence."

"The _Wales_ is at 60,000 kilometers sir." said Samui.

"Good." said Naruto. "Launch two more drones and a shuttle at them."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Why are we launching an empty shuttle sir?"

"They'll think it's another scatterpack shuttle and try to burn it." said Naruto. "It's a gamble on their part if they don't."

"Range is 30,000 kilometers sir." said Samui. "They fired four of their phasers at the shuttle; the shuttle is destroyed."

"They have locked a tractor beam one drone." said Otome. "The other is still on course."

The _Darkslayer_ shook again. We have two phaser hits in our forward port shield." said Shar. "The shield is down 27%. Range is 20,000."

Naruto said, "Gunnery fire all phasers the can be brought to bear on the _Wales_."

Five phasers fired from the port side of the _Darkslayer_ as the two ships passed each other. The second drone hit as well.

"Damage to the _Wales_ sciences?" asked Naruto.

"Between the five phasers and the drone hit we took out both of the _Wales_ ' port shields and did minor internal damage." said Shar. "The light cruiser can still fight."

Naruto considered things for a split second and said, "They have three options; run, fight our try to rescue the crew of the _Alexander_. Unless they turn to fight us they'll remain on course. Rafi, turn us 120 degrees to starboard so the enemy is facing a strong starboard shield. Gunnery cycle the disruptors to overload and cycle the phasers. The rear shield on the light cruiser can't take too much damage."

"The _Wales_ is on a direct course for the _Alexander_." said Shar. "I'm detecting transporter activity."

"Communications shows they are rescuing the crew of the _Alexander_." said Mrella. "It looks like the _Alexander_ is dropping her starboard shields to speed the process up."

Otome reported, "Weapons are cycled Captain Naruto."

Naruto nodded and said, "Gunnery, fire the disruptors at the _Alexander_ and finish her off." Otome was going to question her orders but Naruto glared and said, " _Proceed_ gunnery."

Seconds later the _Alexander_ went up in a huge fireball that further damaged the _Wales_ which was at point blank range.

Naruto ordered, "Ready boarding parties. Energize the transporters. We are taking the _U.S.S. Wales_."

Jackie nodded and said, "Shall we soften up the _Wales_ with phaser fire sir?"

The blonde nodded. "Take out the rear shield with our three bow phasers Gunnery."

"Firing sir." said Otome.

The three phasers lashed out and took down the rear shield of the _Wales_ causing more damage to the light cruiser. "Drop foward shield!" commanded Jackie. "Boarders away! Raise forward shield." The _Darkslayer's_ shield was quickly raised after that.

M'rella said, "The Marines are aboard the _Wales_. I'm monitoring communications activity. There is fierce fighting in the engineering section. They are requesting reinforcements."

Naruto ordered, "Once the transporters cycle send over six more boarding parties." The _Wales_ fired her two starboard phasers into the _Darkslayer_ but the Klingon ship's shields held. "Drop facing shield again! Boarders away!"

Twenty minutes later the _Wales_ was captured and the screen went blank with the words, SIMULATION ENDED appearing on the screen seconds later.

Rafi exhaled. "That was a long simulation."

"If they'd stayed together they might have been able to defeat us." said Samui. "The light cruiser Captain was good."

"I agree." said Naruto. "If they hadn't sacrificed the destroyer _Alexander_ we would have had a serious problem."

The door on the bridge opened and Commander Jackson said, "It was a calculated risk they took. They lost. Everybody back to the classroom for debriefing."

….

Jackie Nodaway and Ozumi Otome filed out of the classroom feeling rather exhausted. Commander Jackson ordered them to write **detailed** critiques on the performance of the _IKV Darkslayer_ and her crew. ' _Geez, Commander Jackson is hardcore. The other instructors seem like a bunch of creampuffs compared to her_.' thought Jackie.

After they were dismissed Otome asked Samui, "Is Commander Jackson always so harsh?"

Samui looked at Otome and said, "The Commander seemed to be in a good mood today. She is harsh but always fair to us."

Otome cringed and thought, ' _I'd hate to see the **Meat Grinder** in a bad mood_.'

….

 **Starfleet Education Hall, _Class: Survival I & II_**

Commander Carmichael stalked into the lecture hall as usual and said, "This weekend we are going to a little place called Death Valley, California for our Desert Survival trip. I realize you already took a trip out to the Dasht-e Loot Desert in Iran but with all the equipment available there it's little wonder that you all basically made a vacation of it." The big man turned to Naruto and said, "Cadet Naruto; as I understand it you grew up camping in the Forge on Vulcan on a regular basis. Is this correct?"

"That is correct sir." answered the blonde. "It is a wondrous place."

Carmichael said jovially, "Excellent, now there is a desert! I went there on a camping trip and barely escaped with my life because of the local predators. (The entire class sweat dropped). Class; if you have questions direct them towards Cadet Naruto. I may interject from time to time but it will give him some valuable lecture time. Start reading both the basic and advanced chapters on desert survival."

Then the grizzled instructor added with a gleam in his eye, "I hope to learn something myself."

….

 **Mess Hall**

The _Think Tank_ Command Team was at their usual spot in the mess hall between the Third and Fourth Years. Their upperclassmen Jackie Nodaway was talking to them. She said, "Otome and I were really shocked at Commander Triella Jackson, She is one cold hard bitch. I can't believe she's been your only simulation instructor. We've always rotated around with different instructors."

Rafi laughed, "She's a bit rough around the edges but the Commander said we have to set an example or the whole fast track program would look like a joke."

Shar added, "She does come across rather gruff but her philosophy of teaching _does_ get results. You learn very quickly from her or get thrown out an airlock."

The rather shy Otome said, "She jumped all over me for hesitating to obey orders. It was only a second."

"And a second is long enough to turn the tide of a battle." said Samui. "If life and death hang in the balance then reaction time is everything."

Otome smiled and said, "You guys are pretty hardcore yourselves. Have you ever lost as Klingons?"

M'rella giggled and said, "We've been in some pretty scary situations as Klingons but we haven't lost yet."

"You guys should come drinking with us this weekend." said Jackie.

"We'd like that." said Rafi. "But we're going to Death Valley over the weekend."

Otome's eyes got big and she asked, "Why…?"

"Advanced Desert Survival Class I'm afraid." said Shar. "We rarely have time off because we have to fit four years of education into two years."

"Ouch. You have my condolences." said Jackie in a somber tone.

….

 **Stardate 2272.286, **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars**** , _**U.S.S. Darwin**_ **in FRD-15**

Lieutenant Shizuka Nadshiko reported for duty aboard a ship she'd hoped to never lay eyes on again –the Galactic Survey Cruiser _NCC-1802_ _U.S.S. Darwin_. As a she was the only survivor of the previous bridge crew someone in High Command had the ' _brilliant'_ idea that her returning to serve aboard would be good propaganda to lose the image of ' _Death Ship Darwin_.'

Shizuka beamed aboard from Mars proper with her belongings where she was greeted by a rather imposing officer of Vulcan descent. She had Captain's bars and immediately gave the Vulcan salute to Shizuka who did her best to emulate it with a slight smile. The women raised an eyebrow in a familiar way and said to Shizuka, "Welcome aboard, I am Captain Vach M'Fau of the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair."

"I am Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko reporting for duty as Security Chief of the _U.S.S. Darwin_."

Vach nodded and said, "Leave your luggage here and follow me Lieutenant. This is not the same ship you were stationed on ten months ago."

Shizuka nodded and fell in step with Captain Vach. Vach quickly motioned a couple of enlisted men to take Shizuka's luggage to her new quarters. As they travelled through the saucer section of the ship Shizuka found that nothing was even remotely familiar despite the fact she'd been stationed on the _Darwin_ for years. The pair stepped into the turbolift and Vach said "Bridge." to which the computer simply said, "Bridge, understood." in a pleasant voice. The turbolift hummed as they moved but there was no sense of motion like Shizuka remembered.

When the turbolift opened Shizuka was awed at how massive the new bridge was. There were four special sensor stations instead of one and there was an extra bridge station specifically for security above and behind the Captain's chair. Vach saw the shocked look on Shizuka's face and asked, "Are you an emotionalist Lieutenant?"

The Security Officer felt awkward despite the fact other Vulcans had asked her before. Shizuka replied, "I was adopted at birth by human parents and was raised on Earth. I've never been to Vulcan…."

"I see." said Vach. "That explains quite a lot. This ship has 80 days before it will sail for the first time since its rebuild. The primary hull is 94% completed but the engineering hull is only 63% completed and the new engines have just been put into place. It is your duty to familiarize yourself with this vessel inside and out so you may acclimate the new officers and crew as they come aboard. I have read your dossier and I believe this is well within your capabilities Lieutenant Nadeshiko. Do you have any questions? Speak freely."

' _Good Lord!_ ' thought Shizuka. ' _Starfleet isn't asking for much_.' "Is there a liaison officer aboard to show _me_ around Captain Vach?"

"No, almost everyone on this ship is engaged in the construction process." said Vach. "You will have to familiarize yourself. The ship's computer is fully operational so you may ask it. I will be on board the next six days running inspections so I am available as well. Do you have any other questions?"

"Just one Captain; if I may?" asked Shizuka.

Vach tilted her head. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering if you are related to a blonde Vulcan named Naruto." said Shizuka. "You seem to have similar mannerisms and the same clan name."

The Captain eyed Shizuka a moment and the Earth raised Vulcan wondered if she said something offensive. The Vach said, "You are very astute Lieutenant. He is my great nephew. I think you will do well….If there is nothing else I believe we both have work to do."

….

 **Stardate 2272.288, Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 125-F, Planet Earth**

After Commander Jonathan Carmichael had the _Think Tank_ out camping in Death Valley they were more than happy to return to their comfortable, _air conditioned_ quarters. M'rella said from the shower, "Moisture, _glorious_ moisture!" Being from a tropical rainforest planet the poor Caitian girl wasn't very fond of the desert. On the other hand she was hoping they would get to do _Jungle Survival_ because it was an area she excelled at. She was soon singing in her soft Caitian purrs and was quite content to take a nice long, cool shower.

Naruto for his part was entering data into his personal log….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'fau: Stardate 2272.288. The desert training in Death Valley with Commander Carmichael was….interesting. He seemed as eager to learn from me about survival in The Forge and we spent a great deal of time talking as well as teaching my comrades. It seems the Commander is very open minded and enjoys all kinds of climates. He seems to have been all around the galaxy due to his own inquisitive nature. I believe Father would very much enjoy talking with the Commander. On a more serious note everyone worked very hard and acclimated very quickly once we set up camp. Setting up moisture traps and using the native flora and fauna to our advantage was very educational for me personally. There are many other desert ecologies I wish study now but botany is not my specialty. Nevertheless; parallel evolutionary paths on different worlds are fascinating_ ….

….

 **Stardate 2272.290, **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars**** , _**U.S.S. Darwin**_ **in FRD-15**

Engineer's Mate T'Lyra Tolaris was going up to the saucer section of the _Darwin_ to check for some faulty connections in the computer core when a woman called, "Hold the turbolift please!"

T'Lyra told the computer. "Computer, hold position of turbolift."

"Acknowledged." replied the computer.

T'Lyra waited and saw an attractive Vulcan woman in a security officer's uniform. Realizing this was a full Lieutenant T'Lyra automatically gave the Vulcan salute and said, "What Deck Lieutenant?"

Shizuka gave a mangled Vulcan salute and said, "I need to go to the Auxiliary Control Room but I don't know what deck it is on."

"It is Deck 6 Lieutenant." said T'Lyra. She said to the computer "Auxiliary Control Room computer."

The computer said, "Auxiliary Control, understood." The turbolift started to hum in its usual fashion and then it suddenly stopped which jarred both women.

T'Lyra expected the officer to take charge but Shizuka looked more confused than in charge. ' _Perhaps she's lost_.' thought the brunette Vulcan beauty. "Computer; why did the turbolift stop?"

"Working." said the computer in a pleasant voice. "There seems to be a turbolift system malfunction. All turbolifts are shut down until the malfunction is repaired."

T'Lyra sighed internally and said, "Computer, can the course be reversed to where we boarded?"

"Negative, all turbolifts are shut down until the malfunction is repaired." replied the computer pleasantly.

' _You just said that computer_ ….' thought both women.

Shizuka grumbled, "Great; four days on this deathtrap and I already need to be rescued like a damsel in distress." She looked at T'Lyra and said, "What are our options Engineer's Mate? You obviously know this ship better than I do."

"I am Engineer's Mate T'Lyra Tolaris." said T'Lyra curtly.

Shizuka said, "T'Lyra Toul-r- Oh, damn it! My name is Shizuka Nadeshiko, I'm the new Security Chief of the _Darwin_. I was raised on Earth by human parents so I can't speak Vulcan names right."

' _No wonder she seems so illogical_.' thought T'Lyra. "Our options are as follows Lieutenant Nadeshiko. One; we could wait to be rescued, two; we could leave the turbolift via the escape hatch and enter a deck instead of waiting here or three; we could go to the ship's central computer and attempt to do repairs as I was going there anyway and have my tools."

"Can you fix the problem T'Lyra?" asked Shizuka.

"That depends on what the problem is Lieutenant." answered the brunette.

Shizuka said, "Computer, between what Decks is this turbolift stuck?"

The computer replied, "This turbolift is stopped between Decks 7 and 8."

Turning to T'Lyra, Shizuka asked, "What deck is best to get to the computer core?"

"Optimally we need to go up to Deck 6 to access the computer Lieutenant." answered T'Lyra. "It should be a simple enough task."

"Let's go then." said Shizuka with a smile.

T'Lyra said, "Let's open the upper emergency hatch." It took all of five minutes to pop the hatch and climb out of the turbolift itself. Once the two Vulcan women exited the lift they climbed the ladder up the side of the shaft to the entry hatch to deck 6. T'Lyra popped the emergency entrance panel open and found it wouldn't activate so she looked across to Shizuka and said, "We will have to open the doors manually Lieutenant."

Shizuka nodded and said, "You pull on the right door and I'll pull on the left." They both got a good grip and Shizuka said, "On three; ready? One, two, three!"

After a couple of seconds of resistance the doors slid open allowing the two women inside the hatch to Deck 6. Shizuka entered first and looked about. "I don't see anyone around." said the raven haired Security Chief.

"The saucer section is nearly complete." said T'Lyra. "There shouldn't be many people doing construction up here. This hall leads to the computer core." They soon came to a sealed bulkhead that was clearly blast proof doors covering the computer core. "These blast doors shouldn't be sealed." said T'Lyra. "These barriers are active only when the ship is under yellow or red alert."

Shizuka whispered, "Sabotage." Then she said, "Computer, this is Security Chief Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko of _U.S.S. Darwin_. Open the computer core's protective barriers. The _Darwin_ is in dock and is at weapons status zero."

"Security Chief Nadeshiko recognized." said the computer. "Please verbally enter override code."

Shizuka said, "Code 3, 15, 13, 16, 21, 20, 5, 18. Acknowledge computer."

"Override code acknowledged Security Chief Nadeshiko, opening blast doors." replied the computer.

The black haired woman drew her sidearm, a type II Phaser pistol. "Stay back until I check for hostiles T'Lyra." said Shizuka as she slipped into the computer room. The computer was a Daystrom Data Concepts M-7 Logic System. It was 3 meters in diameter and ran in a shaft 11 decks tall from the top to the bottom of the primary hull. At the base of it was someone who fired a phaser up at Shizuka as she entered the shaft. The entire core area and the computer itself were covered with light magnetic shielding to prevent phaser damage so the shot at Shizuka ricocheted around the shaft before it expended its energy. She was nearly hit three times by the bouncing phaser beam.

The Security Chief aimed her phaser down and intentionally shot the wall causing the beam to ricochet once towards the person. " _SHIT!_ " screeched a male voice that Shizuka recognized but couldn't place. Whoever it was started shooting wildly and soon phaser beams were bouncing all over the place. The man at the base of the shaft cried out because one of the random shots bounced back and hit him.

Shizuka was pinned against the wall waiting for the phaser beams to dissipate when a shot came down from above. Shizuka's reflexes were too fast for the shooter when she sprang out of the way and fired upwards. The shooter was a man as well and he was hit dead center in the chest. He fell over the railing and landed on the screened floor directly above Shizuka. She recognized his face despite the damage and the blood. "Second Lieutenant Wilcox?"*② yelled Shizuka in horror at her former comrade's dead body lying above her with a death stare.

A weak voice from below said, "N-Nadeshiko? Is that you? It's me, Sergeant Pizer. *③"

Shizuka called down and said, "What are you two doing here? How bad are you injured?" She stared down at Pizer who was lying there like a broken rag doll. "Wait right there Pizer; I'm coming!" Shizuka clambered down the steps and saw Pizer was in bad shape. "Damn it man, what are you doing?"

Pizer smiled weakly and said, "Me and Wilcox are avenging our comrades." He motioned with his eyes and Shizuka looked over and to her horror saw what was obviously a bomb of some sort.

"You were in demolitions…." she said. "But why?"

"The _Darwin_ should have died with her crew." said Pizer. "You, Me and Wilcox….we're all just ghosts. We should be dead with everyone else."

Shizuka turned angry and said, "Tell me how to disarm the bomb. There are innocent-"

"There is no such thing as an innocent person!" spat Pizer hatefully. "Just accept the fact that we're already dead!"

The Security Chief growled, "I'm not ready to die yet. I'm not a ghost."

"You soon will be." said Pizer before he closed his eyes.

"Might I be of assistance?" said T'Lyra from above.

Shizuka said, "There is a bomb down here and Pizer is the only one who can disarm it. He's almost dead."

T'Lyra came down rapidly and basically ran over Shizuka to get to Pizer. She placed her hands on Pizer's temples and whispered, "My mind to your mind…." Pizer started to scream as his paltry mental defenses were ripped away. T'Lyra said, "I am sorry but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one." After a minute or two T'Lyra grabbed Pizer's tool belt and said, "I will disarm the bomb now."

"How?" asked Shizuka. "He was a class one demolitions specialist."

T'Lyra opened the case to the bomb and said, "I took the information directly from his mind. We have to disarm this device immediately. It will take both of us."

Shizuka looked sadly at Pizer and then turned to T'Lyra. "Tell me how to help."

T'Lyra said, "Your thoughts. Give them to me and I will show you how."

Shizuka nodded and said, "I can take the pain."

"Pain isn't necessary to show you what is needed." said T'Lyra. ' _My mind to your mind….My thoughts to your thoughts_ ….' Within minutes Shizuka knew exactly what she had to do with complete clarity.

T'Lyra released the mind meld and said, "We may not have enough time. The timer shows thirty five minutes until it builds up enough power to reach critical mass and detonates."

Shizuka pulled her communicator and said, "This is Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko calling Captain Vach."

" _Captain Vach here_." crackled the communicator.

"A bomb has been discovered aboard the _Darwin_ that will kill all aboard _Darwin_ and FRD-15 in less than thirty-five minutes." said Shizuka clearly. "It is a gravity singularity type. Engineer's Mate T'Lyra and I have a chance to disarm it but we may not make it in time! ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP! I repeat; **_ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP!_** "

….

The _U.S.S. Darwin_ and Floating Repair Dock 15 were abandoned by transporter within the next twenty minutes and FRD-15 was set in motion by her own tiny sublight impulse engines locked on a course away from Mars and the shipyards. The entire **Utopia Planitia Fleet Orbital Shipyards above Planet Mars were mobilizing and shields everywhere where being activated to provide what protection they could against a singularity blast of unknown yield.**

On board the _U.S.S. Darwin_ T'Lyra and Shizuka were in a race against time to disarm a bomb set by a man who believed he was already dead. As it was wired to the ship's computer core it couldn't be removed without disarming it first. T'Lyra gave up on watching the timer because logically she would either disarm it in time or would not. Shizuka was more concerned about the timer but was assisting T'Lyra at a pace Shizuka never dreamed she was capable of….

Shizuka watched as T'Lyra moved about to different parts of the singularity bomb with an easy familiarity. ' _It's as if she made it herself_.' thought the Security Chief. T'Lyra motioned towards a connection and Shizuka knew to cut it as soon as T'Lyra pointed. ' _I can't believe I'm doing this without messing up. It's like my hands know what to do by themselves_.'

T'Lyra would have been sweating if she had the sweat glands to do so. She slipped on her magnification goggles and rerouted the power from the bomb's core to a safety switch to deactivate the bomb. "Pull the second arming chip out Lieutenant. We are almost done." said the Engineer's Mate. Shizuka did so with micro tweezers and T'Lyra moved on to the next chip's connections….

….Twenty-seven tense minutes after they started the singularity bomb was disarmed. Both T'Lyra and Shizuka looked and saw that they had three minutes and twenty-four seconds left when the timer stopped running. The two young Vulcan women nearly collapsed from the stress. "It's over and we are still alive." said Shizuka. "I hope High Command doesn't murder me for ordering everyone to abandon ship."

"It was the logical thing to do in this situation." said T'Lyra.

Shizuka laughed and said, "You are all right in my book T'Lyra!" as she slapped the younger woman on the back. She got out her communicator and said, "This is Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko aboard _U.S.S. Darwin_ to Starfleet Command. This bomb has been disarmed. I repeat; the bomb has been disarmed. Please send a bomb disposal unit and some medics aboard _U.S.S. Darwin_ at Deck 11 of the Computer Core. I have one saboteur in my custody. "

….

Hours later FRD-15 was back in its assigned berth and the crew had boarded the _U.S.S. Darwin_ once again. The bomb disposal unit had come and gone and Marine Sergeant Pizer was in secured sick bay on Mars proper.

Captain Vach was sitting in the Darwin's ready room speaking with Shizuka and T'Lyra. "According to our reports so far both Wilcox and Pizer had become addicted to narcotics in the past few months; more than likely due to mental trauma from the Incident on the _Darwin_ last year. You both went above and beyond the call of duty to save the crew of the _U.S.S. Darwin_ and I commend your actions. It seems the bomb connection is what caused the turbolifts to malfunction. Had you not been so proactive over a thousand Starfleet personnel would be dead. Well done."

She turned to T'Lyra and said, "Though it was quite brutal the forced mind meld on Sergeant Pizer was the logical solution Engineer's Mate T'Lyra. I realize that it has caused you both extreme stress and discomfort. You will be seeing a psychiatrist for the next six months as a result."

T'Lyra nodded and said tiredly, "That is a logical decision."

"I'm recommending you both for The Starfleet Medal of Valor."*④ said Vach. "You have both proven to be exemplary examples of what Starfleet personnel should be. It is up to the Admiralty to approve this but I personally believe you should be rewarded for your actions."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① A scatterpack shuttle is a standard shuttlecraft modified to carry drones and is used as a multiple warhead seeking weapon. The tactic is of Klingon or Kzinti origin.

*② Second Lieutenant Wilcox was one of the Marines aboard the Darwin that was a drinking buddy of Shizuka's. See chapter 15.

*③ Sergeant Pizer was another Marine friend of Shizuka's from Chapter 15.

*④ The Starfleet Medal of Valor was created in 2254 by Starfleet Command and was awarded in peace or war time for actions beyond the call of duty. It is stylized set of stars with each representing one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets and was attached to a ribbon of diagonal blue and silver stripes.

This chapter was scheduled to come out next week but I couldn't stop writing. It seems the _U.S.S. Darwin_ can even go on adventures when it's in dock. Did this episode break the ship's curse? See you next time. Blue out. 1/7/18


	23. Chapter 23

_Naruto: Infinity Divide_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Check the postscript for an extra question if you are interested. Here is chapter 23. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _Hours later FRD-15 was back in its assigned berth and the crew had boarded the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _once again. The bomb disposal unit had come and gone and Marine Sergeant Pizer was in secured sick bay on Mars proper._

 _Captain Vach was sitting in the Darwin's ready room speaking with Shizuka and T'Lyra. "According to our reports so far both Wilcox and Pizer had become addicted to narcotics in the past few months; more than likely due to mental trauma from the incident on the __Darwin_ _last year. You both went above and beyond the call of duty to save the crew of the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _and I commend your actions. It seems the bomb connection is what caused the turbolifts to malfunction. Had you not been so proactive over a thousand Starfleet personnel would be dead. Well done."_

 _She turned to T'Lyra and said, "Though it was quite brutal the forced mind meld on Sergeant Pizer was the logical solution Engineer's Mate T'Lyra. I realize that it has caused you both extreme stress and discomfort. You will be seeing a psychiatrist for the next six months as a result."_

 _T'Lyra nodded and said tiredly, "That is a logical decision."_

 _"I'm recommending you both for The Starfleet Medal of Valor." said Vach. "You have both proven to be exemplary examples of what Starfleet personnel should be. It is up to the Admiralty to approve this but I personally believe you should be rewarded for your actions."_

 _…._

Chapter 23

 **Stardate 2272.295, Saturn Station One, Starfleet Academy Flight Range**

 _"_ _ **YEEEEAAAAHHHH!**_ _"_ yelled Rafi as her trainer shuttle zipped around Saturn's Moon Titan using the gravity off the moon to slingshot her even faster through the Academy Flight Range obstacle course. Hugging her port wing was Naruto M'Fau and on her starboard wing was Samui Schrodinger. The three small two man trainer shuttles were screaming along in a tight v-formation as they raced around the rings of Saturn. All three bright yellow trainers left bright streaks to those watching from Saturn Station One where M'rella and Shar were observing from the lounge. Shar chuckled. "Looks like Rafi is really pouring on the speed, I wonder how long it will be before her instructor yanks the controls away from her again."

M'rella giggled at her companion and motioned to their bright yellow flight suits. "Trainees aren't called 'Yellow Perils' for nothing Shar. Besides, with Rafi in the lead position I doubt anyone else could touch her. She's not the top helmsman in our class for nothing….I do feel bad for her instructor though….I think I'd be sick by now." Shar nodded in agreement as the three trainer shuttles shot through the course once again.

Saturn Station One was the primary training station for Starfleet in training future helmsman and shuttle pilots. It had a spacedock for hundreds of trainers, shuttles and express transports for those who had passed their simulation exams and wanted to be certified. In the case of the entire class of twenty members of the _Think Tank_ , they were _required_ to be certified in shuttles whether it was their specialty or not.

Rafi signaled to her instructor in the back seat, "How about one more time around the range instructor?"

Her instructor, a Starfleet Ensign named Callie Talis flipped up the visor on her flight helmet showing her bloodshot eyes and said in a strangled tone, " _Denied_ Cadet! Return us to the spacedock this instant. I want a textbook landing; ABSOLUTELY NO HOT RODDING!"

The trill girl sighed and said, "Understood instructor Talis." Rafi switched on the communicator and said, "This is Positron One to Positron Flight; we are heading in for a textbook landing at spacedock bearing 270 degrees to port, acknowledge."

" _This is Positron Two, acknowledged_." said Naruto over the communicator.

Samui's voice crackled in, " _This is Positron Three, understood. I- BREAK HARD TO STARBOARD!_ "

A heavy shuttle went roaring through the Positron Flight's formation nearly causing a collision. All of them had to make violent maneuvers to avoid crashing. Rafi growled. "That bastard was aiming for us!" She immediately switched over her IFF*① to identify the rogue shuttle. "I have an ID on the shuttle; Instructor Talis, permission to pursue?!"

Talis didn't respond and Rafi said, "This is Positron One to Saturn Station One Control. My Instructor is unresponsive. We were nearly rammed by a shuttle that was on a collision course. Transmitting its IFF codes now."

" _This Saturn Station One Control to Positron One_." crackled the communicator. " _Bring Positron Flight home. We will deal with the runaway shuttle. Land at emergency landing bay 0012 in case of serious injuries or damage to your training shuttles. We saw some extremely violent maneuvers that your flight performed to avoid collision_."

Rafi wanted to throttle whoever was in the shuttle that nearly rammed them but replied through gritted teeth, "Positron One acknowledged." The young Trill woman confirmed with Naruto and Samui and Positron flight was soon on their way to bay 0012 where they all landed safely….

….

Upon landing the three trainer shuttles were indeed found to be bent and stress damaged though repairable. Ensign Talis blacked out due to having her pressurized visor up during the gut wrenching maneuvering that Rafi had to perform to save their lives. Both the Cadets and the instructors had to fill out extensive reports due to the wide ranging (not to mention expensive) damage to their trainer shuttles and Ensign Callie Talis got a tongue lashing for not having her visor down per regulations.

The _Think Tank_ group was soon gathered in the lounge discussing Positron Flight's near disaster. Shelly Wilson said, "Well, on the positive side at least nobody was hurt. It would have been a catastrophe if there had been a collision."

"Spoken like a true medic Shelly." said Shar to his roommate in a flat tone.

Shelley's eyes lit up with an unholy fire. "I'm sure you agree as a philosopher don't you Shar?" she asked in a voice that was colder than Andor's polar regions. Shar nodded emphatically in fear.

Samui gave a minimal smile and leaned over to M'rella. She said in a low tone, "I had no idea Shelly had Shar so whipped."

M'rella's amber eyes widened slightly and asked, "Shelly is whipping him?"

The busty blonde smirked and said, "It's Earth slang meaning she dominates him a bit. Shelly is generally so nice that her telling Shar what to do struck me humorously."

M'rella nodded in agreement and said, "Hmmm. I see your point." with a smile.

Naruto said to the still steamed Rafi, "I'm sure we will find out who was responsible for the course of that heavy shuttlecraft eventually Rafi. You need to calm yourself."

Rafi said, "I hope whowever it is gets thrown out of the program. Better yet, you or Samui can get them in the sparring ring and clobber them."

"I'd be cool with that." said Samui.

….

 **Stardate 2272.296,** **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars** , **_U.S.S. Darwin_ in FRD-15**

Shizuka was getting familiar with the 'new' _Darwin_ and could navigate her way around pretty well. It had been a week since the bomb threat and the psychiatrists had determined she was unaffected by the rather rough mind meld with T'Lyra. T'Lyra had explained to her that there might be some side effects but it seemed that there weren't any and Shizuka was glad for that. On the other hand the Security Chief was concerned for her new friend T'Lyra. It seemed that all of the information she got from Pizer's mind had left the Engineer's Mate stuck assimilating a great deal of information.

Captain Vach had returned to Earth by this point but not before requesting a Vulcan High Master to help T'Lyra with her situation. As it turned out High Master Lodzhal of the P'Tranek Monastery came because he was already familiar with T'Lyra's situation. Shizuka was in the transporter room when the High Master arrived. Shizuka said, "Welcome aboard the _Darwin_ Master Lodzhal. I am Security Chief Shizuka Nadeshiko and I will be your guide."

Lodzhal gave her the Vulcan salute and said, "I come to serve." He then looked at her oddly at her mangled salute in response.

Shizuka sweat dropped. "I am a full Vulcan but I was raised as a human."

He simply nodded and said, "Take me to T'Lyra Tolaris please. I would like to discuss your parentage with you later."

The Security Chief nodded and said, "T'Lyra is the main concern Master."

His simply nodded and she thought, ' _God he's taciturn. I wonder why he's interested in my parents_.' Shizuka got on the comm and said, "Overhead computer." Seeing the screen light up that showed she was on the public overhead she said, "Engineer's Mate T'Lyra please report to sick bay immediately." The Security Chief then led Master Lodzhal to the _Darwin's_ sick bay from the transporter room.

T'Lyra was already there when they made it to sick bay. Lodzhal gave the Vulcan salute to T'Lyra and said, "I come to serve."

"Your service honors us." said T'Lyra as she returned his salute. "Welcome Master Lodzhal. Thank you for coming."

Lodzhal nodded and said, "I was the logical choice as we are already acquainted. Shall we proceed?" seeing T'Lyra nod he said, "Let us find a place in private where there will be no interruptions."

….

High Master Lodzhal soon had T'Lyra lying down and stood beside her where he initiated a mind meld. He spoke to her mentally.

 _T'Lyra's mindscape…._

 _"You had to demolish his defenses; it is little wonder that you are so distressed. Let us begin by sorting through these memories that are contaminated. It is clear this human you were forced to meld with was severely unstable."_

 _"The medics said he was heavily drugged." said T'Lyra. "Coupled with his instability it was very uncomfortable to be in contact with him at all."_

 _Lodzhal mentally nodded and said, "You did the logical thing T'Lyra. We will filter out his personal thoughts and eliminate them. The knowledge you gained will remain with you however. To make things optimal we will also organize your new knowledge so it will take some time…."_

….

It took hours for T'Lyra to organize and cleanse her mind under the careful guidance of Master Lodzhal. By that evening Pizer's contamination was gone leaving T'Lyra with a great deal of knowledge about demolitions. She decided it was logical to begin training in the field as she had a virtual study guide in her mind.

T'Lyra opened her eyes and blinked. She looked over at Master Lodzhal who was still standing beside her. "Thank you for your help Master Lodzhal." said the beautiful brunette. "Being rid of Sergeant Pizer's thoughts makes everything clear again."

"That is as it should be." said Lodzhal. "You should rest overnight. Call your mate and inform him you are well first of course."

T'Lyra said, "You are curious about Lieutenant Nadeshiko are you not Master?"

The Master's eyebrow raised slightly and he said. "You picked up that errant thought did you? Your telepathy has grown since we last met. You must have been practicing as I instructed. Well done. In answer to your question I am curious about Shizuka Nadeshiko's origins. She may well have family on Vulcan that she should know about."

"That is logical." agreed T'Lyra.

….

 **Stardate 2272.296, Saturn Station One**

Naruto was talking to T'Lyra via subspace on his tablet and was greatly relieved that she was alright. "It has been a very difficult week." said T'Lyra to her mate. "However, Master Lodzhal helped me put things in order."

The blonde looked longingly at T'Lyra and said, "I wish I could have been there with you through this trying time. I have been very concerned for your welfare."

Her dark brown eyes looked content and T'Lyra said, "I know you have Naruto. You do not know how much that means to me. How are you doing?"

Naruto sighed, "Things are tense here on Saturn. There was a runaway shuttle yesterday that was recovered by the station and nothing has been revealed about the circumstances around it. My friends Rafi, Samui and I were all put in danger by it and believe it should be resolved but none of the upper officers have said anything to us. It has us all concerned."

T'Lyra got a gleam in her eye and said, "I'm sure you and your comrades in the _Think Tank_ will figure it out."

"Rest assured we are looking into it." said Naruto.

T'Lyra then asked offhand, "What do you think about me getting a certification in demolitions?"

The shocked look on Naruto's face made her burst into mental giggles….  
….

 **Stardate 2272.297,** **Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars, _U.S.S. Darwin_ in FRD-15**

The next morning Shizuka was talking with Master Lodzhal. "I guess it would be best to have you check out my mind for possible contamination. I had no idea T'Lyra had so much power."

Lodzhal nodded and said, "It is not my place to say how that occurred but she did not wish for such power. Shall we proceed?"

Shizuka said, "For the record I'm not too keen on people poking around inside my head."

"None of us do." said Lodzhal. "We Vulcans are a very private people and such intimate contact is not taken lightly." It only took Master Lodzhal about an hour to assure that Shizuka had no mental contamination from the mind meld with T'Lyra. ' _It seems that despite her lack of experience that T'Lyra Tolaris kept her mental contact to a minimum with Shizuka. She seems to have the potential to be a great telepath one day_.'

Lodzhal removed his hand from Shizuka's temple and the raven haired young woman woke up. Shizuka blinked and shook the cobwebs from her mind. "That was an experience." said Shizuka. "Am I okay Master Lodzhal? I feel pretty good and rested."

The Vulcan High Master said, "There is no contamination or imprinting from the mind meld. You are unaffected."

"Great!" said Shizuka. "I can get back to work without worries then."

If Master Lodzhol had any thoughts on Shizuka's very emotional response he didn't show it. The Vulcan Master said, "Lieutenant Nadeshiko, would you be interested in finding out about your Vulcan family? I understand you lost your parents at birth and were adopted by human parents but there must have been a reason the Vulcan government did not place you with relatives for your own welfare."

"I always thought I just slipped through the cracks or had no living Vulcan relatives." said Shizuka. "I was never really concerned about it but I admit I am curious. I've never been to Planet Vulcan after all."

Lodzhal nodded and said, "A simple DNA test would be all that is needed to locate your family on Vulcan. If you wish I will take it back to Vulcan with me to confirm. There are many things about the Vulcan physiology and psyche that you clearly do not know. It would be in your best interest to find out about these things."

Shizuka heard the seriousness in his voice and said, "Alright, I suppose it can't hurt."

….

Later that day T'Lyra and Shizuka bid farewell to the Vulcan High Master. "Let me know what you find out please." said Shizuka as she handed over a vial to Master Lodzhal.

Lodzhal nodded and said, "You will be contacted as soon as we find out something Lieutenant Nadeshiko." He turned to T'Lyra with the Vulcan Salute and said, "Peace and long life T'Lyra Tolaris."

T'Lyra returned his salute and said, "Live long and prosper Master Lodzhal."

Shizaka then turned to their transporter chief and said, "Energize." Master Lodzhal shimmered out of existence….

….

 **Stardate 2272.298, Saturn Station One**

The entire _Think Tank_ was having an impromptu _Jam Session_ down in the station's living areas. "The whole situation seems a bit unusual." said Daniel Simmons of the engineering group. "No reports about the runaway shuttle or the damage to the trainers are logged. The whole situation seems like a cover up to me."

Kleone chuckled, "Hacking again Dan?"

"What's the point of having a Doctoral Degree in Computer Sciences if you don't put it to use?" asked Daniel rhetorically. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

Samui gave one of her minimal smiles to the resident hacker and said, "Just don't get caught Simmons. You are our best computer specialist."

Simmons grinned and said, "Not to worry, I'm not digging any deeper than absolutely necessary."

Rafi said, "At least we got the IFF codes. That shuttle is somewhere on this station."

"It's in secured docking bay 0106." said Daniel. "….And the IFF codes are registered to a black project on Mars."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Someone tried to steal a black project and Command is covering it up?"

"That's what the data seems to confirm." said Simmons. "The question is who it actually belongs to. As far as Saturn Station One is concerned that shuttle doesn't exist but clearly _someone_ knows about it."

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: Stardate 2272.298. Something most unexpected has occurred. Captain Anthony MacDougal who is second in command of Saturn Station One has summoned Rafi, Samui and myself to his office regarding the 'shuttle accident' at 08:00. We are all expecting to be ordered to be silent about the matter but we weren't summoned under guard. One is forced to wonder exactly what is going on_ ….

….

08:00

The three Cadets were shown into Captain MacDougal's rather spacious office where a balding man with a red mustache was seated. Naruto had only seen pictures of the man and knew this was the second in command. He seemed to be sweating a bit and rather fidgety. Captain MacDougal said, "Welcome Cadets, I want you to know this conversation is completely off the record. What you hear in this room stays in this room. At ease; please be seated."

Samui, Rafi and Naruto impassively sat down expecting to be told the accident _never happened_ but were quite surprised to hear otherwise. MacDougal said, "I've been speaking to my old friend Admiral Pye from Starfleet Academy on Earth. It seems that you _Think Tank_ Cadets are familiar with him. Because of his faith in you I want to ask a _favor_ of you."

' _Here it comes_.' thought Samui. ' _A silence order_.'

The mustached man said, "I assure you that you are in no trouble. I need you all in the _Think Tank_ to repair something for me."

Rafi immediately thought, ' _Repair something? What the hell is going on?_ '

"That shuttle that nearly hit you three is….special." said MacDougal. "It was sent out here for testing but because of an unfortunate series of events it was damaged. I need your little group to repair it so we can return it to the department it belongs to. The shuttle itself has been fully repaired but the electronics in it are rather sensitive. That's where you come in."

Naruto did a mental face palm. "So someone tried to steal a Simulator Shuttle and we of the _Think Tank_ are the only ones who can fix it."

MacDougal looked shocked for a moment and then laughed. "You kids catch on fast! Pye was right. Can you do it? I assure you it will be _worthwhile_ in the future."

Rafi sweat dropped. ' _A Mars black project was broken under MacDougal's watch and his career is probably on the line. This is like a bad comedy_.'

Samui cringed slightly thinking along the same lines as Rafi. Her gut reaction was to say, " _What's in it for us to fix your mistake?_ " But the beautiful blonde immediately quashed that idea.

Naruto simply asked, "How bad is it and what is our timetable sir? Most of the _Think Tank_ would have to be involved for such a repair job."

MacDougal leaned forward and said, "We have 72 hours, I don't know how bad the damage is. My people can't make heads or tails of it. Report to Secured Bay 0106 at 23:00. I will see you there."

….

10:30

 _Personal Log of Samui Schrodinger: Stardate 2272.298. We of the_ _Think Tank_ _decided that this situation would best be placed in the hands of the Judge Advocate General.*② Captain MacDougal informed us that we were to hack the shuttle's black boxes*③ to insure that no one would suspect anything. This whole situation is a breach of conduct that borders on treason. Our group was very divided on what to do but Naruto finally joined in the debate and said that the logical thing to do was to go over Captain MacDougal's head consequences be damned. As he tends to do Naruto dominated the debate once_ _logic_ _got involved. He also argued that this could be a test to evaluate our integrity as a group._

 _Fortunately we have evidence. Our Starfleet insignia have micro recorders in them thanks to our science team. After a bit of debate Naruto, Rafi and I decided we should be the ones to go over MacDougal's head and see Rear Admiral Sheila Tristan about the matter. Unless she is in on it too then she will inform the proper authorities…._

 _…._

13:00

Naruto, Rafi and Samui entered the office waiting room of Saturn Station One's Commander, Rear Admiral Tristan where a rather bored female Ensign was sitting at a desk. There were two armed Security guards at the actual entrance to the Admiral's office as well. They saluted her and were about to submit a report when The Ensign stopped them and said in a droning voice, "Welcome Cadets, if you have a grievance against one of your instructors about your grades then please head over to the Students-Teacher Committee Office on Deck 3. If you wish to report the activities of your fellow Cadets about bullying or other unethical behavior then please head over to the Students Affairs Office on Deck 9. If you believe you are under too much stress or have other issues of a personal nature then please report to the Student Counselors office on Deck 17. The Admiral doesn't have time to address your personal issues as she has a station to run. If that is all then you are dismissed."

Samui said, "This is not about our grades or any of the other things you mentioned Ensign; this is about treason and we wish to report it directly to the Admiral because the officer we wish to press charges against answers directly to the Admiral."

The Ensign frowned and said angrily, "Is this some kind of _practical joke?!_ You three are in serious trouble if you think for a minute I'll put up with this."

Rafi said in a strong voice, "There is no falsehood in this. We believe the matter should fall under the auspices of the Judge Advocate General. If we are wrong then we are prepared to face the consequences."

The Ensign snapped her fingers and said, "Guards, escort these Cadets to the brig for questioning. They clearly don't know their proper place."

The two guards drew their side arms and moved towards the Cadets. "Alright Cadets; against the wall. You are in deep sh-"

"Ensign Reynolds, why are the Admiral's guards pointing phasers at three unarmed Cadets?" asked a Vulcan Commander in a blue Medical Officer's Uniform as he came out of the Admiral's office.

The now named Ensign Reynolds said, "These three Cadets claim they need to see Admiral Tristan to address a matter of treason. They even claim to want _JAG_ involved!"

Naruto thought, ' _This Doctor is Vulcan. Perhaps he will listen to us_.' The blonde gave the Vulcan salute and said, "I am Cadet Naruto of the _Maat Fau_ Clan. I come to serve."

The Medical officer returned his salute and said, "I am Doctor Rekan of the _Yel Tsatik_ Clan. Explain your situation to me Cadet."

"But Sir I-" said Reynolds.

Rekan cut her off with a glare and said to the guards, "Return to your posts and put away your weapons. Vulcans do not lie without a logical reason. What is the situation Cadet?"

Naruto let out tiny breath he'd been holding. "Captain Anthony MacDougal has attempted to get our cooperation in committing an act of treason. We have proof to present to Rear Admiral Tristan as she is the only person on Saturn Station One who outranks him."

"You say you have proof?" asked the Admiral as she walked out of her office. She was a trim, fit looking human woman in her sixties.

"Yes Ma'am!" said all three cadets with a salute.

Admiral Tristan glared at them with hard eyes but the Cadets didn't flinch. She said, "Doctor Renak please remain present. I want to see this _proof_ you Cadets supposedly have on MacDougal." The Admiral added as she motioned them all to follow her into her office, "Guards accompany us." She sat down at her desk and said, "I hope you Cadets realize the consequences of your actions before you commit to this. If your proof isn't to my satisfaction you will face severe consequences. What are your names?"

The blonde Vulcan said, "I am Cadet Naruto M'Fau."

"Cadet Rafi reporting Ma'am." reported the Trill girl.

The beautiful augment girl said, "I'm Samui Schrodinger Admiral."

Admiral Tristan motioned for them to sit down and said, "Tell me what is going on and show me your proof. I'm very curious as to what _treason_ Anthony MacDougal has committed. Speak freely as your futures are on the line here."

Samui gulped and said, "Captain MacDougal revealed to us that a shuttle that nearly caused an accident was in fact a prototype Simulator Shuttle. It is damaged and he wants us of the _Think Tank_ to repair it so he can return it to its proper owners."

Tristan's eyes widened and she thought, ' _Tony said the Simulator was safe under guard and hadn't been touched by any of our personnel. What has that idiot done?!_ ' "….And you have proof of this Cadets?"

"We have a holographic record of the conversation Admiral." said Naruto. "I believe it should provide sufficient proof."

"Where is it?" asked the Admiral.

Rafi removed her Starfleet insignia from her uniform and said, "It is here. With your permission I'll activate the projector so you can see it."

"Make it so." said Admiral Tristan.

Rafi quickly unfolded her pin and set it on the table. She then said, "Playback Stardate 2272.298 starting at 08:12 hours."

The projector activated and Captain MacDougal appeared from Rafi's point of view. _"Welcome Cadets, I want you to know this conversation is completely off the record. What you hear in this room stays in this room. At ease; please be seated. I've been speaking to my old friend Admiral Pye from Starfleet Academy on Earth. It seems that you_ _Think Tank_ _Cadets are familiar with him. Because of his faith in you I want to ask a_ _favor_ _of you. I assure you that you are in no trouble. I need you all in the_ _Think Tank_ _to repair something for me."_

 _"That shuttle that nearly hit you three is….special. It was sent out here for testing but because of an unfortunate series of events it was damaged. I need your little group to repair it so we can return it to the department it belongs to. The shuttle itself has been fully repaired but the electronics in it are rather sensitive. That's where you come in_."

"Stop playback!" said Admiral Tristan. "Do you always record conversations with your superior officers?"

Naruto answered, "No, we do not. The situation with Captain MacDougal was highly suspicious however. The three of us and our instructors submitted reports about that shuttle nearly colliding with us but the reports were never logged. The shuttle that nearly hit us was also never logged and we turned in its IFF codes to Saturn Station Control. As our logs were apparently erased we had suspicions of a cover up as a result."

"A reasonable conclusion." commented Doctor Rekan.

The Admiral nodded. "Very well, continue the playback."

 _"So someone tried to steal a Simulator Shuttle and we of the_ _Think Tank_ _are the only ones who can fix it." said Naruto in the hologram._

 _MacDougal looked shocked for a moment and then laughed. "You kids catch on fast! Pye was right. Can you do it? I assure you it will be_ _worthwhile_ _in the future."_

 _"How bad is it and what is our timetable sir?" asked Naruto. "Most of the_ _Think Tank_ _would have to be involved for such a repair job."_

 _MacDougal leaned forward and said, "We have 72 hours, I don't know how bad the damage is. My people can't make heads or tails of it. Report to Secured Bay 0106 at 23:00. I will see you there_ …."

….

Tristan sighed. ' _Unless this recording is completely fabricated this evidence is damning. What have you done Tony?_ ' She said rather sadly, "Get me security Chief Bantam. Tell him to report to my office."

The Security Chief soon arrived and rang the buzzer to the Admiral's office. "Come." said Tristan.

"Security Chief Bantam reporting as ordered Ma'am." He raised his eyebrows when he saw three Cadets in the Admiral's Office. The huge hulk of a man asked, "How may I be of service Admiral?"

Tristan drummed her fingers and said, "By my authority you are to take an armed security team and place Captain Anthony MacDougal under arrest on grounds of suspected treason and place him in maximum security in the brig."

Now Security Chief Bantam's eyebrows were near the ceiling. "Ma'am I-"

The Admiral said, "It's a shock to me too. Carry out your orders Bantam."

The big Security Chief saluted and said, "I will report in as soon as I have the Captain in a cell." He quickly exited.

Tristan hummed for a second and said, "What shall I do with you three?" Her hands danced across her touch pad in her desk and she said, "You are key witnesses in a possible Court Martial. We're going straight over to Lieutenant Commander Collins office." She stood up and said, "Follow me Cadets."

The three followed the Admiral down the hall into an office clearly marked ' _Starfleet Justice Division_.' Commander Collins was at her desk and stood up and saluted the Admiral. Tristan said, "At ease Commander. We have an issue for JAG and I need you to take statements from these three Cadets."

Collins nodded and said, "These Statements are pertaining to…?"

Rear Admiral Tristan said, "A possible Court Martial of Captain Anthony MacDougal on grounds of treason."

The Lieutenant Commander was shocked but hid it well enough. "They are the primary witnesses?"

Tristan nodded. She said gravely, "I believe Tony's career is over."

"I'll need a statement from you as well Admiral." said Collins somberly.

"Of course you do." said the Admiral.

….

18:00

Naruto, Samui and Rafi had a grueling few hours of questions both seemingly related and unrelated to the case against Captain MacDougal. Commander Collins was extremely thorough about everything it seemed. The three were standing at attention in front of Commander Collins after they gave their individual statements. Collins said, "I will reiterate that _everything_ about this case in classified and you are not to discuss it with _anyone_. I'm pulling you from flight training and placing you in secured quarters for your protection. You will be able to continue your class work there."

By 19:00 all three Cadets had separate rooms to themselves with guards posted at their doors and were none too happy about their situation. Naruto immediately started studying things outside his normal curriculum; Starfleet Law and Court Martial Proceedings. Coincidentally Samui and Rafi were doing the same thing independently. Their computer stations were being monitored by security to "…. _Make sure this bunch of brainiacs don't hack the system_." said Commander Collins. " _They aren't called the_ _Think Tank_ _for nothing_."

….

Admiral Tristan was in her office looking over the records for the three cadets and stopped on Naruto's. She thought aloud, "Conceived on Tori Prime IV. Born on Vulcan. A graduate of the Vulcan Science Academy with two full doctorates. So this is T'Ara's son."

Tristan read about his Starfleet career. ' _He's received a personal Commendation from Admiral Pye for beating the Kobayashi Maru and a further Group Commendation from Pye with his fellow Fast Track Students for developing the simulator shuttle prototype. He's also been nominated for the Cochrane Medal of Excellence_ _*④ by Admiral Tolm for_ _ **Excellence in advancing warp architecture**_ _. He doesn't even know about that yet but he's basically a shoe-in for the award. Yes, he's T'Ara's boy all right. I'd never have guessed back when we were on the **U.S.S. Republic** together that T'Ara's unborn son would end up being a genius like her_ ….'

"Computer, what is Cadet Naruto studying at his computer station right now?" asked the Admiral.

The computer said, "Working….Cadet Naruto is currently studying Starfleet Law and Court Martial Proceedings regarding treason Articles I through XX. He is on page 117 of Article VII."

Sheila Tristan laughed and remembered her Chief Science Officer T'Ara always studying things just because of her love of knowledge. "Like Mother like son…."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① IFF: Identification Friend or Foe.

*② Judge Advocate General (JAG): The Judge Advocate General Corps (or JAG, also known as Starfleet Justice Division) is a division of the United Federation of Planets Starfleet responsible for legal matters concerning Starfleet personnel, including court martial.

*③ Black Box: Flight recorders, etc. that are designed to be recovered in case something goes wrong such as a crash. Tampering with them without leaving traces would be difficult at best.

*④The Cochrane Medal of Excellence: was awarded to Starfleet officers and cadets, by the Zefram Cochrane Institute for Advanced Theoretical Physics, who performed outstanding feats in various areas. The official document that accompanied this medal was signed by the institute's director and Starfleet's head of staff. The award was named for Zefram Cochrane.

Well, it seems that nothing is ever simple for Naruto & Co. Now I have to study up on Court Martial proceedings to write something decent….

I do have an unrelated question for my readers. If you've read my (unfinished) first story **_Lunar Eclipse_** would any of you be interested in a sequel that takes place starting in Star Wars Episode VII? If you haven't read the original **_Lunar Eclipse_** to some extent the new story will make no sense. Some people might prefer for me to shelve the idea given the original is unfinished and has been on hiatus forever. I'm hoping for some input before I invest time in a project that no one may be interested in.

Anyway, see you next time. Blue Out. 1/14/18


	24. Chapter 24

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE:_

 _I'd like to thank_ _ **lostship45**_ _for his insights on the Court Martial process. Also, thanks to everyone for their input on my_ _ **Lunar Eclipse**_ _sequel question last chapter. I'm putting the idea in file 13 in favor of completing the original and other stories. Here is chapter 24. Enjoy!_

 _Port = Left_

 _Starboard = Right_

 _[ ] Signifies a foreign language_

Last time:

 _Admiral Tristan was in her office looking over the records for the three cadets and stopped on Naruto's. She thought aloud, "Conceived on Tori Prime IV. Born on Vulcan. A graduate of the Vulcan Science Academy with two full doctorates. So this is T'Ara's son."_

 _Tristan read about his Starfleet career. ' He's received a personal Commendation from Admiral Pye for beating the Kobayashi Maru and a further Group Commendation from Pye with his fellow Fast Track Students for developing the simulator shuttle prototype. He's also been nominated for the Cochrane Medal of Excellence by Admiral Tolm for **Excellence in advancing warp architecture**. He doesn't even know about that yet but he's basically a shoe-in for the award. Yes, he's T'Ara's boy all right. I'd never have guessed back when we were on the **U.S.S. Republic** together that T'Ara's unborn son would end up being a genius like her….'_

 _"Computer, what is Cadet Naruto studying at his computer station right now?" asked the Admiral._

 _The computer said, "Working….Cadet Naruto is currently studying Starfleet Law and Court Martial Proceedings regarding treason Articles I through XX. He is on page 117 of Article VII."_

 _Sheila Tristan laughed and remembered her Chief Science Officer T'Ara always studying things just because of her love of knowledge. "Like Mother like son…._ "

….

Chapter 24

 **Stardate 2272.299, Saturn Station One, Crew living areas**

An attractive young Vulcan Lieutenant Junior Grade named Alieth was reading her orders after sending a coded query out of the system.

' _If you can't retrieve the target then eliminate the loose ends. If that proves impossible then escape and return to home_.'

She nodded and deleted the coded message from her receiver. Alieth checked her equipment including her combat knife. Sighing she thought to herself, ' _It's time to go._ '

….

 **Samui's Secured Quarters, Deck 21**

Samui was getting ready to shower. She was barefoot and had her body wash in hand. She was getting ready to take her gold colored top off when her door unlocked and a female Vulcan security officer entered with a drawn phaser in hand. Samui looked shocked as the door closed and locked behind the security guard. The red shirted female said, "You are in the way cadet." She fired her phaser on stun and Samui collapsed in a heap. The guard thought aloud, "That was simple." She pulled an unusual concealed combat knife and thought, ' _Now to slit her throat and complete the job_ ….'

She reached for the beautiful blonde's shoulder to get to her neck when Samui suddenly lashed out with a kick that caught the guard completely unawares. Augments are much more resistant to damage and Samui was able to shrug off a simple stun. She'd been playing possum. The guard hit the wall hard which sent her weapons flying across the room. When she got up the red shirted female saw Samui was already in a karate stance and hit the Vulcan woman with the strength of a charging rhino. The guard felt her ribs shatter and she coughed up a gout of green blood as she crashed into and then through the doors to Samui's quarters. The augment girl pounced on the downed guard in the hall and punched her hard enough in the jaw to shatter it. The downed guard gasped and then gurgled out something before her head rolled to the side. The Vulcan woman was dead….

….

 **Naruto's Quarters**

Naruto was sitting at his desk when the door opened behind him and a human security guard threw a combat knife at the blonde Vulcan's back. To the guard's disbelief he saw Naruto spin around in his chair and _catch_ the knife midair between his right index finger and middle finger. Then Naruto vanished. The guard went for his phaser only to hear Naruto's voice behind him say in a whisper, " _Never_ _fight a Shinobi_." The guard felt Naruto's hand grip his throat and slit his trachea with his own knife causing blood to fly everywhere – _green_ blood….

The blonde Vulcan body flickered away as the guard's carcass hit the floor with a thump. Two other guards (a male and female human) opened the door and saw their comrade was dead. There was no sign of Naruto. All they saw was the body of the dead guard in a pool of his own blood. They drew their phasers and the female whispered, "Where is the damned Vulcan boy?" She motioned to her comrade to stay still and took a step into the room she looked around and saw nothing of Naruto….

Her comrade let out a hissing noise and she said "Stay at the door. The only place he could be hiding is in the-" she felt her head grabbed from above as her neck was snapped like a twig. Her shocked eyes widened as her body crumpled to the floor and saw Naruto stuck to the ceiling above her with chakra. He said, "Too bad you neither looked up _Romulan_ …." She saw what looked like a duplicate of the blonde over her partner's body puff into smoke.

The blonde Vulcan hit the floor silently and searched the three bodies. He found each of them had a standard Type I hand held phaser and a combat knife of foreign (probably Romulan) origin. Naruto armed himself with the three knives and two phasers set on stun. That's when he heard a crash and a voice cry out from the direction of Samui's room. Naruto slipped down the hall silently and saw another 'human' male cradling a compound fracture of his thigh bone. The man was obviously dizzy with pain and _green_ blood loss.

Naruto gripped the man's mouth from behind and kicked his wound viciously causing the male to scream into the blonde's palm that muffled any sound. Naruto whispered emotionlessly in the Romulan's ear, "I'll kick the bone again if you don't tell me how many of you there are Romulan."

The man nodded frantically and Naruto pulled his hand away. The Romulan whispered "N-n-nine of us on this level."

"How many others?" asked Naruto. The Romulan started foaming at the mouth and went limp. Naruto thought, ' _Self destruct. Must be a fast acting poison_.' He heard phaser fire down the hall behind him in the direction of Rafi's room. Naruto considered backtracking but decided to find Samui first given he was almost there.

The blonde laid the Romulan down in silence and went down the hall to Samui's room where he saw the dead 'Vulcan' female guard and the metal doors ripped out of their tracks. He saw another guard down with a massive slash wound across his abdomen. The knife was still in the man and he too was foaming at the mouth from poison. Naruto pulled the knife out of the carcass and wiped it clean on the dead man's shirt. He heard someone coming and saw Samui come around the corner. The Augment girl was _pissed_. She was carrying another knife and muttered to herself, " _Who else wants their head kicked in?_ " She saw Naruto and said, "How many-?"

Naruto put his finger to her lips and whispered, "Silently now; we are dealing with Romulans." When she nodded he took his finger away. "There are nine of them on this floor. Six are dead. We need to save Rafi; she can't fight like us." Samui flinched a bit as he handed her a phaser. He asked, "Are you hurt Samui?"

"I'm fine; just a little roughed up." She showed him her hand was cut and bruised. The blonde augment girl said with a smile. "Let's go."

Naruto now had four knives in makeshift holster on his thigh. "I'll take point." said the blonde Vulcan.

"Cool." whispered Samui. Naruto glanced back and saw the blonde augment giving him her minimal smile as she motioned him to lead on.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and thought ' _I fail to see anything that would qualify by her definition of cool at this point_.' The pair crept down the hall to Rafi's room where there had obviously been a phaser shoot out. Naruto saw a 'human' dead by a phaser shot into his forehead showing his blood was green too. There were multiple phaser burn marks on the wall where he'd been standing. The dead man's foot was lodged in the doorway leaving it wide open. Naruto checked for vitals just in case and felt there were none.

Samui whispered, "Cool. Rafi's an even better shot with a phaser than I thought she was."

That's when they heard soft crying from within Rafi's room. Samui waved in the doorway and a blue phaser beam nearly took her hand off. Samui said, "Rafi, it's me; Samui!"

Rafi said in a broken voice, Samui? Y-you're alive?"

The blonde augment waved again and asked, "Can I come in? Naruto is with me."

The trill girl said, "Come in." in a soft tone. When she saw it really was Samui, Rafi lowered her phaser and said, "I k-killed!" and burst into fresh tears.

Samui came in and hugged her trill roommate to soothe the distressed girl. Naruto pulled the body away from the door and it closed with a soft hiss.

' _Clearly Samui is handling the situation well but Rafi is in a state of shock_.' thought Naruto. ' _There are still two Romulans out their somewhere_.' The blonde Vulcan hit the comm switch on the wall to contact Security and found it was inactive. ' _Do I try to hunt down the remaining Romulans or stay with Rafi and Samui?_ ' he wondered. Making the decision to stay Naruto made four shadow clones to sweep the area. His clones found nothing but verified that all the comm links were all dead. " _If Rafi fired her phaser on kill then it should have triggered alarms, are the sensors on this deck dead too…?_ " Naruto stepped back out in the hall in a guard position.

That was when Security chief Bantam came out of the turbolift with three other security guards and saw Naruto aiming a phaser at him. Bantam said, "Stand down Cadet; the station is in lockdown."

Naruto lowered his phaser and said, "There were nine Romulans on this deck and seven are dead."

Bantam nodded and said, "They escaped via the turbolift. The Romulans are being pursued. Are any of the other cadets still alive?"

Naruto said, "We are all three alive."

The Security Chief got out his communicator out and said, "Bantam to central Control, we are sweeping deck 21. The Cadet's are alive. I repeat; the Cadets are alive."

….

Two hours later the three Cadets were up on Deck 14 which was considered a shelter. Rafi had calmed down somewhat but was still distressed. The rest of the _Think Tank_ was there as well and were quietly speaking among themselves. They saw the red alert light switch over to condition yellow and relaxed a little.

….

 **Admiral Tristan's Office, Deck 1**

Sheila Tristan was livid. Years of command experience had her in control of herself however. "I transfer in a month ago and now I find out there are bloody Romulans in my base! What's worse is MacDougal has been in charge of personnel for years. I've known him for decades and completely trusted him." She growled, "Heads are going to roll." Security and the Marines were out sweeping the station for infiltrators. The various shootouts on Saturn Station One had ceased and an attempt was made to steal the Simulator Shuttle in bay 0106 was made by the interlopers. They failed spectacularly because Bantam had three times the normal guard compliment guarding the shuttle with phaser rifles.

MacDougal finally broke under interrogation and revealed there were twenty four Romulans on the base. Security had accounted for all of them but one who was the main contact of MacDougal's. She was still loose and was in the guise of a Vulcan Lieutenant named Alieth. Security soon had verification that she'd taken a long range shuttle out before the station was locked down. "Shit." said Bantam. "One of them escaped us. There is no telling what information she stole." Lieutenant Alieth aside; Security was checking the personal quarters of the infiltrators for bomb or any other form of sabotage.

Starfleet Intelligence was already being mobilized to get the disaster under control. They were going through MacDougal's personal files with a fine toothed comb. Admiral Tristan had already initiated mandatory DNA and retina scans of everyone in the station. She was the first to be tested voluntarily. The command staff was next and everyone in MacDougal's entire department was under suspicion. All the shuttle trainees were low on the list and it took three days to process all of them. The paranoia in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. All outside communications were blacked out.

….

Admiral Tristan looked over the reports once all the DNA testing was completed and was pleased that everyone was accounted for after the initial panic though fourteen personnel died at the hands of the Romulans during the fighting. Losing _any_ personnel was too many but it could have been much worse. There was no evidence that the Romulans committed any sabotage. That left the question of exactly _what_ the Romulans were doing there to begin with. They weren't there to steal the Simulator Shuttle prototype originally because it hadn't even been invented yet….Tristan figured that was a simple target of opportunity. "Espionage isn't my game but something doesn't add up here…." thought Tristan aloud.

….

 _Personal Log of Samui Schrodinger: Stardate 2272.306. With the exception of Naruto, Rafi and I everyone has passed their shuttle training. The three of us have passed all the bookwork and are simply awaiting a time when we can return to flight duty to complete our training._

 _On a personal note I really don't like blood on my hands even if it was to save my own life. I was trained as a child to kill when necessary but it's given me nightmares. Rafi is still a mess and Naruto is….Naruto. He informed me that he had to kill before and that the guilt will numb eventually. I'm still seeing counselor regardless._

 _Saturn Station One has become a hotbed of conspiracy theories about the Romulans and Captain MacDougal. Security is crawling all over the place. I want to return to Earth but Starfleet Intelligence has the three of us in proverbial limbo given how big the situation has grown. I can't wait for it all to be over…._

….

 **Judge Advocate General's Office, Deck 1**

Lieutenant Commander Amanda 'Amy' Collins was in contact with JAG Headquarters on Earth. She was on a double encrypted frequency. "I'm telling you this is could be huge Admiral Obes." said Collins. "Starfleet Intelligence is already in Captain MacDougal's Office looking through his data for co-conspirators. They are also trying to find out how twenty four Romulan infiltrated this base. They were all registered as Starfleet personnel so somebody inside _let_ them in. Admiral Sheila Tristan came in long after they were in place. Her predecessor Admiral Roger Capek may know something about it all but he's retired and I have no way of tracking him."

On her viewscreen was the Andorian Admiral Obes. He was a long serving JAG Commander and was a strict taskmaster. "Leave tracking Admiral Capek to us Commander Collins. You are getting ahead of yourself. This is Starfleet Intelligence territory we are dealing with now; not just a Court Martial of a Captain gone rogue. If the Romulans have managed to infiltrate our capital system then there will be a massive shakedown in High Command. Trust me. Keep your head low and stay in your boundaries. If Starfleet Intelligence asks for your cooperation then by all means give it to them. JAG can't solve this alone."

After Admiral Obes signed off he thought to himself, ' _I wonder if Section 31*① has their fingers in this. Poor Collins is stuck in the eye of a storm_.'

….

Commander Collins saw her viewscreen go blank and leaned back in her chair. "Keep my head low and stay in my boundaries." she muttered to herself. Collins went through the files she had access to. ' _Lieutenant Alieth or whoever she really is was on Captain MacDougal's staff for the last three years in a liaison position. Her last quarterly medical physical was two years ago and the others since have been repeatedly waived by Captain MacDougal. The Medical Staff filed complaints to Admiral Capek but the Admiral never did anything about it. That pretty much means MacDougal knowingly had a Romulan on his staff for approximately two years….It also means that the_ _ **real**_ _Lieutenant Alieth has most likely been dead for two years…._ '

' _God only knows about the other twenty three spies that died or who they may have taken place of_.' thought Commander Collins. ' _I can't conclusively say they all came in under MacDougal's aegis but he_ _ **knew**_ _there were twenty four of them….I don't have the evidence on them just yet because Starfleet Intelligence has taken over though. I guess I'll simply have to focus on MacDougal_.' Amy Collins sighed. "I know it's not the fault of Admiral Tristan but this breach of security is going to look bad on her record as well. Nearly 5,000 people live and work on this station and security needs to be tightened up."

 _…._

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: Stardate 2272.309. It's been ten days since we were attacked and many Starfleet Intelligence Officers have been inspecting Saturn Station One. I have been questioned seven times now and have repeatedly had to explain why I was able to defeat three Romulans without being injured in return. I explained to them that I am a 4th Level Master of Kareel-ifla and a 2nd level Master of V'shan. The last Officer one was familiar with those martial arts and visibly cringed when I explained the situation to him. He informed me that I wouldn't be questioned again about the matter._

 _My friend Samui likewise has had to explain she has and eighth level black belt in karate and was proficient with both knives and fencing. My other friend Rafi is doing much better than she was a week ago and is returning to her normal self. She is very frustrated that we cannot return to flight duty yet. Rafi said she was going 'Stir Crazy.' Once I looked that up I added it to my mental list of human idioms although a Trill using human slang phrases seems unusual to me._

 _We three were called into Commander Collins Office for further questions regarding Captain MacDougal. She didn't divulge any information to us about the case but she did indicate that the Court Martial would be taking place within the next month if all went well. She explained that we would be required to testify at the hearing but we would be released to return to Earth along with the rest of the_ _Think Tank_ _. It is possible to receive a shuttle piloting certification on Earth and Rafi, Samui and I intend to so._

 _…._

The _Think Tank_ Cadets were sent back to Earth the next day to resume their normal schedule training schedule. They were informed that all the happenings on Saturn Station One were considered classified and they were not to be discussed. Naruto, Samui and Rafi were more or less under a silence order and were told that they would be notified when it was time to appear at the Court Martial. Starfleet Intelligence informed them they were to remain silent as well….

Naruto was soon on a transport back to Starfleet Academy when he decided to contact T'Lyra and inform her he was all right. Seeing her face on the tablet lifted a huge weight off his soul and although he couldn't say anything of what happened other than it was classified; he felt things were right again….

….

 **Stardate 2272.310, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars** , **_U.S.S. Darwin_** **in FRD-15**

Brea Mathuin was coming out of the shower in her room on FRD-15 and she saw her roommate T'Lyra was in a peaceful pose reading the _Darwin's_ schematics on her tablet. Brea smiled and asked, "Was that your husband that called earlier T'Lyra? You look a lot more relaxed than you have all week."

T'Lyra looked at her friend and said, "You know me well. Yes, that was Naruto I was speaking to. He is well but said that the reason behind the communications blackout with Saturn was classified."

The dark haired Irish girl said, "I'll bet it's a huge, scandalous Starfleet secret! The truth may never known."

The brunette Vulcan girl said, "While your speculation is highly illogical it is probable that we will never be informed. I inferred from Naruto's words that it was something he will never be able to discuss."

Brea shrugged. "It's better to not ask then. Besides, we have much bigger news! The _Darwin's_ exterior hull is finally airtight again which means we can work without those bloody spacesuits!"

"It certainly is a milestone to use a human phrase." said T'Lyra agreeably.

"So are you coming to the party to celebrate?" asked Brea. "The guys want to hear you sing and play that Vulcan harp of yours."

"I'll have to tune my ka'athyra then." said T'Lyra as she set down her tablet and opened her locker under her bunk. She slid the ornate case for her musical instrument out and soon had ka'athyra in hand and was gently tuning it string by string….

"Less than two months until the _U.S.S Darwin_ rejoins the fleet eh T'Lyra?" asked the Irish girl.

T'Lyra nodded. "Indeed. We are seeing more and more assigned regular crew everyday to help with the fitting out process."

"It's a shame that they don't know squat about the construction process." griped Brea. "We know this ship inside and out."

Gently strumming her harp and tuning another string the young Vulcan woman said. "We all have specialties Brea. Constructing a ship is ours; operating a ship is theirs."

Brea laid back on her bunk and listened to T'Lyra tune her ka'athyra. "So do you think you'll get the Starfleet Medal of Valor? You deserve it for what you and Lieutenant Nadeshiko did. You both do."

"It is not a matter of great concern to me." said T'Lyra. "We did the logical thing and saved the lives of many. Being nominated for such an award is an honor in itself."

"I bet Lieutenant Nadeshiko thinks otherwise. She's probably foaming at the mouth." said the Irish girl with a chuckle. "You two may both be Vulcan but you couldn't be more different."

T'Lyra stopped tuning for a moment and said, "We are in total agreement on that point."

Brea just laughed….

….

 **Saturn Station One, Judge Advocate General's Office**

Commander Amanda Collins was surprised that Starfleet Intelligence was willing to help her with her investigation on MacDougal. It actually made her suspicious. The Official Statement was they ' _Wanted this to be an open and shut case solely on MacDougal's head_.' The JAG Officer found that the evidence compiled both by her and Starfleet Intel would probably be enough for life imprisonment of the man. Collins wondered about several people in MacDougal's department being transferred out without apparent reason but she had no way to track their destinations.

' _Keep my head low and stay in my boundaries_.' she thought repeating Admiral Obes's orders. ' _Ugh. I hate having my hands tied but I'll have to accept it. I'm basically in the same boat as those three Cadets_.' Collins set about making her case against MacDougal to the best of her ability. ' _I may as well go for the jugular. With the evidence involved you're damned if you do and damned if you don't Anthony MacDougal_.'

….

 **Stardate 2272.323, Starbase 1, Geosynchronous Orbit over Starfleet Headquarters, Planet Earth, Courtroom**

"We will now begin the proceedings of the Court Martial of Captain Anthony MacDougal." said the Baliff.

Lieutenant Commander Amanda Collins opened her case with a statement: "Captain Anthony MacDougal, you stand accused of Violations of the Starfleet Security and Secrecy regulations surrounding Black Ops projects; Conspiring with enemies of the United Federation of Planets and Treason of the highest order. How do you plead?"

MacDougal simply said, "Not guilty." If anyone was surprised then they didn't show it.

Collins thought to herself, ' _Fine. If I have to pull teeth one by one that's what I'll do_.'

The three Cadets were in various states of nervousness. They were in their dress uniforms and were told by Commander Collins to " _Listen for your turn and otherwise keep your mouths shut_."

Naruto had read up on the court procedures but was a bit baffled by the actual event. The heaviness in the air was a palpable thing.

For her part Rafi was looking about nervously and saw even the Enlisted personnel on the jury had a dozen medals apiece. It was obvious these people had been in Starfleet for decades. ' _What a day to be sober…._ ' thought the Trill girl miserably.

 _'I wish this was all over_.' thought Samui. The beautiful Augment girl was feeling a bit intimidated by Rear Admiral Palmer who was judging. The female human Admiral had a face as cold and hard as stone. The jurors all looked like they'd seen it all and were impassive.

The hologram of MacDougal trying to get the Cadets to repair the Simulator Shuttle was soon shown and the authenticity of that evidence was soon called into question by the defense. That led to an entire series of questions that had little to do with MacDougal. Ultimately an encryption/decryption specialist brought in by the defense agreed that " _The holographic record is genuine and not fabricated in any way_."

Naruto watched as Collins and the Defense Lawyer argued back and forth on the tiniest details as if they were what the Court Martial was about instead of MacDougal. He noted it was much like Terran fencing.

Samui was the first called up and her judgment was questioned because of her Augment background.

Rafi wanted to jump to Samui's defense but Naruto grabbed the Trill girl's wrist and calmed her with a glance. He mouthed, ' _Samui can handle it_.'

The Trill girl was questioned next. When her background was questioned Rafi said flippantly to the Defense Lawyer, "I hold a full Doctoral Degree in Astronavigation _Summa Cum Laude!_ *②" Translated loosely the Trill girl was saying, ' _Who the hell are_ _ **you**_ _to judge me?_ ' Though nobody knew it the stone faced Rear Admiral Palmer found the Trill girl to be quite amusing.

The Defense Lawyer looked steamed at Rafi but kept his composure. He looked over at Naruto and noticed once again that the blue eyed Vulcan was staring at him with extreme scrutiny. He sighed and thought, ' _Arguing with a Vulcan is pointless_.'

When Commander Collins had Naruto give his statement the Defense simply said, "No further questions." when he was given the opportunity to cross examine Naruto.

….

 **Stardate 2272.324 Courtroom**

"….And these records show you waived the Romulan agent using Lieutenant Alieth's identity from medical examinations!" roared Collins. "Why would you do this Captain MacDougal? Explain this to the jurors."

Naruto watched as Commander Collins practiced her craft and couldn't help but be impressed. ' _She's turned this from fencing to a siege situation. It's only a matter of time before MacDougal runs out of resources_.'

' _She's crushed his defense now_.' thought Samui. ' _Cool. When he tried to plea bargain out she denied him completely_.'

Rafi was mentally cheering at the pale look on Captain MacDougal's face. ' _How long till he cracks and we can all go home?_ '

"….You admitted to knowing how many Romulan Agents there were on the base! How did that come to pass?" asked Commander Collins.

….

Admiral Palmer banged her gavel after she looked at the verdict from the jurors. It had been a long two day process. "The defendant is found guilty on all counts. Captain Anthony MacDougal, stand for your sentencing."

MacDougal stood looking more dead than alive. He never had given an explanation for his actions. He planned to take that information to his grave….

Admiral Palmer gave MacDougal a hard glare that made him cringe. "Your sentence is life imprisonment in the Starfleet Stockade on Jaros II*③ where you will have plenty of time to reflect upon your actions. The sentence is to be carried out immediately. Take him away."

Anthony MacDougal lowered his head and said nothing as the guards placed restraining cuffs upon him and escorted him out of the courtroom. ' _I wonder whatever happened to Alieth_.' he pondered….

….

 **Stardate 2272.330, Federation/Romulan Neutral Zone, Icarus System**

The light freighter _S.S. Vikrant_ was taking an illegal cargo into the Federation/Romulan Neurtal Zone. They'd been paid _extremely_ well to risk a little trip into the Neutral Zone. Their cargo was a Vulcan defector named Alieth. The Captain said, "We're here Miss Alieth; the Icarus system. Just as you requested we're in the orbit of the lifeless rock Icarus IV. What now?"

Alieth gave the Captain a datacard and said, "Transmit these codes at a short transmission range only and my ride will show up."

The Captain shrugged and said, "Whatever you say Miss Alieth." He slid the datacard in the slot and transmitted the codes as she requested.

"Now we wait." she said as he handed her back the datacard.

A second later the Romulan frigate _RIS Scimitar_ uncloaked directly in front of them. The Captain gasped and Alieth got out a Romulan communicator. She said, [ _One to beam up_.] in perfect Romulan. She quickly disappeared in a shimmering transporter beam. The codes that Alieth was safely aboard the frigate came through seconds later which made the crew of the _Vikrant_ finally relax.

The Romulan frigate then fired her plasma torpedoes at point blank range and the _Vikrant_ ceased to exist. Seconds later the _RIS Scimitar_ faded out under cloak.

….

 **Bridge, RIS Scimitar**

Kurenai was watching the viewscreen impassively from her command chair as the last sparks and fragments of the hapless _Viking_ burned into dust over Icarus IV. She noted absentmindedly, "I despise smugglers." The doors to the bridge opened and Kurenai turned her chair to face the newcomer Alieth. She smiled and said, "Welcome aboard the Scimitar Tal Shiar Major Anko. It's good to see you again old friend."

Anko's light brown eyes seemed to glint in the low light of the ship's bridge. She grinned mischievously. "It's good to see you again as well Subcommander Kurenai."

The Frigate _Scimitar_ soon headed smoothly back into Romulan space….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Section 31: Section 31 is the name of an officially-nonexistent and autonomous clandestine organization which claims to protect the security interests of the United Federation of Planets. Loosely speaking, it is Starfleet's black-ops division, operating separately from and usually without the knowledge of Starfleet Intelligence. Section 31 was also somewhat comparable to the Romulan Tal Shiar but unlike that organization Section 31's very existence was a deeply buried secret, known only to a handful of people beyond its own membership.

*② _Summa Cum Laude_ : 'With highest praise.' Used in diplomas to grant the highest of three special honors for grades above the average. (3.9-4.0 Grade Point Average).

*③ Jaros II: A Federation planet in the Jaros star system, the site of a Starfleet Stockade. The planet is marginally Class M with a hot, dry climate. The stockade and surrounding area is protected by a powerful transporter inhibition field that prevents beaming people to or from the planet. The facility has no walls or guard towers but even if a detainee avoided being stunned by a guard or a droid the planet was devoid of other settlements and there were no sources of water nearby, making escape an unattractive prospect to most inmates.

This chapter was a bit odd to write as I knew what I wanted to do but didn't know how to go about it. The Court Martial I pretty much broke up into small pieces to make it a bit more digestible. I originally was going to write it out in greater detail but with all the conspiracy, attempted murder and other fun things going on the Court Martial needed to be shortened. As for the Romulans, a lot of people asked how they fit into the story given I dedicated almost an entire chapter to Kurenai and her ship the _Scimitar_. A lot of fun is going to happen in the Neutral Zone in the future. See you next time. Blue out. 1/17/18


	25. Chapter 25

_Naruto: Infinity Divide_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Looks like we made it! Here is chapter 25. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2272.330, Federation/Romulan Neutral Zone, Icarus System_**

 _The light freighter_ _S.S. Vikrant_ _was taking an illegal cargo into the Federation/Romulan Neurtal Zone. They'd been paid_ _extremely_ _well to risk a little trip into the Neutral Zone. Their cargo was a Vulcan defector named Alieth. The Captain said, "We're here Miss Alieth; the Icarus system. Just as you requested we're in the orbit of the lifeless rock Icarus IV. What now?"_

 _Alieth gave the Captain a datacard and said, "Transmit these codes at a short transmission range only and my ride will show up."_

 _The Captain shrugged and said, "Whatever you say Miss Alieth." He slid the datacard in the slot and transmitted the codes as she requested._

 _"Now we wait." she said as he handed her back the datacard._

 _A second later the Romulan frigate_ _RIS Scimitar_ _appeared directly in front of them. The Captain gasped and Alieth got out a Romulan communicator. She said, [One to beam up.] in perfect Romulan. She quickly disappeared in a shimmering transporter beam. The codes that Alieth was safely aboard the frigate came through seconds later which made the crew of the_ _Vikrant_ _finally relax._

 _The Romulan frigate then fired her plasma torpedoes at point blank range and the_ _Vikrant_ _ceased to exist. Seconds later the_ _RIS Scimitar_ _faded out under cloak._

 _…._

 ** _Bridge, RIS Scimitar_**

 _Kurenai was watching the viewscreen impassively from her command chair as the last sparks and fragments of the hapless_ _Viking_ _burned into dust over Icarus IV. She noted absentmindedly, "I despise smugglers." The doors to the bridge opened and Kurenai turned her chair to face the newcomer Alieth. She smiled and said, "Welcome aboard the_ _Scimitar_ _Tal Shiar Major Anko. It's good to see you again old friend."_

 _Anko's light brown eyes seemed to glint in the low light of the ship's bridge. She grinned mischievously. "It's good to see you again as well Subcommander Kurenai."_

 _The Frigate_ _Scimitar_ _soon headed smoothly back into Romulan space…._

 _…._

Chapter 25

 **Stardate 2272.332. Prison Transport Ship U.S.S. Weare en route to the Jeron System,** **United Federation of Planets**

Anthony MacDougal was sitting in his solitary cell aboard the _U.S.S. Weare_ wondering what would become of him. He'd been involved in one of the biggest disinformation programs against the Romulan Tal Shiar there had been in the last twenty years. The whole thing blew up in his face due to one mistake. He wagered that the _Think Tank_ Cadets would knuckle under to authority without question. All of his accomplices and silent partners vanished in the blink of an eye….and he was considered a traitor! ' _I'm more of a patriot for the Federation than anyone in Starfleet!_ ' he raged to himself. ' _Section 31 said they had me covered and they hung me out to dry_.' He knew Alieth (or whatever her actual name was) hit the hot button so she could escape. All the other Romulan Agents were just a means to an end and she sacrificed them all without blinking an eye.

"What a heartless woman…." he thought aloud.

The doors to his cell opened with a hiss and three Section 31 agents entered. Two were younger and he didn't know them but the third he knew well. The man went by the name Tower and held a Commander's rank. God only knew what the man's real name was. Tower wore his gray hair in a military buzz cut and the black uniform of Section 31. Commander Tower motioned the two guards to guard the door outside and said sarcastically, "Weeping over lost love Tony?"

MacDougal glared at Tower and said, "I never loved Alieth!"

Tower looked at MacDougal with mirth in his eyes and said, "Really? Don't kid yourself! She was never supposed to know about the Simulator shuttle but **_you_** fucked up Tony. Then you tried to cover your own tracks by enlisting a bunch of geniuses to break the rules. Did you really think those kids would be that easily manipulated? We've been eyeing them since the whole Fast Track program started. _We_ put that program in place. They were all put through subconscious testing to make sure they were hard enough to endure the tasks at hand. In a few years each and every one of those kids will be invited to join Section 31."

The former Captain gasped, "Then those Cadets were working for you?! Why didn't they cooperate with me then?"

The Section 31 Agent shook his head 'no.' "They are candidates though they don't know it. They've proven to have more loyalty to the Federation than you Tony. Did you know they hacked your files and knew about the Simulator Shuttle's whereabouts before you even called them? Those kids knew it was a cock up from the beginning! They followed the spirit of the regulations to the letter. In the meantime you were leaking information to that woman about the Simulator Shuttle. Luckily we caught on and fed _you_ false information so the specs and plans you got from Mars were nothing but fabrications and lies. Your little Romulan sweetie ran back to Tal Shiar High Command with nothing of use to anybody."

MacDougal was beside himself with rage. " ** _You set me up Tower! I should_** -" A phaser beam shot Anthony MacDougal and silenced him forever….

"You were a loose end Tony." said Commander Tower as he put away his phaser pistol. " _Section 31 doesn't tolerate loose ends_ …."

….

 **Stardate 2272.335, Starfleet Academy Simulation Hall, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

The _Think Tank_ was called in as a group by Captain Schulz that they'd seen before in the opening and closing ceremonies. The biggest thing they remembered her for was making the announcement that the Simulator Shuttle was being handed over to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers….Needless to say they weren't looking forward to what she had to say. Captain Schultz saw the Cadets were stiff at attention and almost had a look of hostility in their burning eyes. ' _Such spirit and determination is admirable but what did_ _ **I**_ _do?_ ' she wondered. ' _What an unfriendly bunch of Cadets!_ '

She cleared her throat and said, "Welcome Cadets. Your little group has made quite an impression upon the Admiralty. They have decided that you are ready for your six month Cadet Cruise along with your Fourth Year upperclassman. I realize this must come as a surprise to you going sixth months early but Starfleet Command has decided that you are ready. Congratulations! That being said you will all be shipping out on the newly refitted _NCC-1802_ _U.S.S Darwin_ as of Stardate 2273.001. Your new orders will be forwarded to you by the end of the day. You are among Starfleet's rising stars and we expect you to continue to excel. Well done!"

The _Think Tank_ members were collectively shocked and some of them were abhorred. The _U.S.S._ _Darwin's_ reputation as a _Death Ship_ aside; most of them had degrees and projects to complete and _needed_ the next semester to do so. Captain Schultz was expecting them to break into wild applause given they would be out of the classroom and out in space. They eventually realized they were supposed to be clapping and broke out in polite applause while wondering how this would affect their futures. A general mood of grim determination settled over them when the meeting was over.

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm-F, Room 125-F**

M'rella was pacing about frantically and was generally in an uproar. "We are not ready for this Naruto! What about our educations?! I'm not through my second Master's in Languages!"

Naruto's mind was racing through ideas inside but outside looked completely composed. He finally said, "Let's sit down and discuss this over some tea M'rella. You need to calm your mind and think."

Taking a deep breath M'rella said, "Tea sounds good. Let's have some of that Vulcan Spiced Tea you make so well. It is much better than that bland Plomeek Tea that you brew sometimes."

Naruto thought to himself ' _What's wrong with my Plomeek Tea? I admit it isn't as good as my Mother's but….I'm being illogical_.' He mentally smacked himself. "Spiced Tea it is then." _'….Then again, a shot of Vulcan Port sounds better._ ' Remembering how plastered his lovely Caitian roommate got the last time she had Vulcan Port the blonde Vulcan quickly decided tea was the better choice.

They were soon discussing options (aside of resigning) of continuing their educations. M'rella said in her usual purring voice, "Alright Naruto, what do you think would convince the Admiralty to push us forward so quickly? We were supposed to have three to four semesters of instruction and _then_ our Cadet Cruise; not _two_ semesters. Our Sciences Team already looked it up and this is unprecedented even in wartime."

Naruto took a sip of tea and said, "If I were to engage in speculation I would estimate that either the Admiralty has that much faith in us (which isn't logical) or the Admiralty is desperate for more officers quickly. If I was in a position to push forward for more officers quickly I would choose among outstanding third years rather than members of the _Think Tank_. We are not experienced enough."

"Also there are only twenty of us." said M'rella. "If they were really desperate for more officers they wouldn't limit it to us only. It is very odd. I suppose on paper we are the equivalent of the Third Years."

As a group the _Think Tank_ concluded that whatever the Admiralty's reasoning was they really weren't in a position to fight receiving what was supposed to be a _huge honor_ by being advanced so quickly. Their upperclassmen were divided on the subject. The Third Years were virtually all opposed to it and (justifiably) felt they were getting the shaft. Among the Fourth Years, many felt the _Think Tank_ were a bunch of upstarts but others were congratulatory such as Jackie Nodaway and her team who had faith in the fast track student's abilities. No fights broke out for the simple reason that the _Think Tank_ students preferred negotiations to fist fights. The all agreed that they couldn't afford to get into pitched battles anyway.

….

Naruto soon was on his tablet talking to his mate T'Lyra about the situation. She said, "For purely selfish reasons I am pleased. We can serve together at last. Does this not please you?"

The blonde gave a tiny smile and said, "Of course it pleases me T'Lyra. But it is still highly illogical. Taking a group like the _Think Tank_ into space with our lack of experience seems like a very bad idea."

"I'm sure you and your group will adapt. My training only took months." said the beautiful brunette. "Besides, you've been picking up Commendations left and right to use a human term."

"And you have been nominated for the Starfleet Medal of Valor my mate." said Naruto with a bit of pride in his voice.

The young couple talked about everything and nothing until lights out. They were both very pleased to be serving together at last….

….

 **Stardate 2272.338,** **Starfleet Academy, Admiral Harold Pye's Office**

Admiral Pye was in a conference call with the higher ups in Starfleet Command. Pye had protested the _Think Tank_ being advanced so quickly and given he'd been in the position of Commandant of the Starfleet Academy for many years his voice couldn't be ignored. Essentially the decision was made behind his back and the old Admiral wasn't going to take it lying down.

"Harry, you yourself gave five of them a personal Commendation as well as a group Commendation for the Simulator Shuttle project." said his old friend Admiral Wallace. "I've known you for decades and you don't give unnecessary praise. You always told me that whenever you gave someone a Commendation that they sure as hell _earned_ it."

Pye said, "And they did earn it! The problem is those kids are going too far too fast. Reverse the decision and let them take the full two years. This is a mistake."

Admiral Barnes said, "We would lose a lot of face doing something like that. Both the public and the students themselves would be disillusioned and a reverse decision would make Starfleet Command look indecisive. We can't have that. If nothing else, what do the Cadets of the _Think Tank_ feel about it? When I was their age I would have been doing back flips."

Harold Pye narrowed his eyes and said, "They were quite shocked seeing their educations are being completely derailed. Schultz said that they gave a light applause after several minutes of silence. They aren't ready and they _know_ they aren't ready. That fact alone speaks volumes of how they will turn out if we teach them right."

"The decision is made Harry." said Wallace. "Don't be difficult for all of our sakes."

"What about a compromise then?" asked the Academy Commandant.

"What did you have in mind Pye?" asked Barnes warily. Barnes knew Admiral Pye was sly as a fox when he needed to be.

Admiral Pye said, "It's very simple. They get their Cadet's Cruise early and can finish their educations during the following year back at the Academy. _Then_ they get their Commissions as Starfleet Officers."

Wallace stroked his goatee and said, "It would have to be handled on a case by case basis but since there are only twenty of them…."

Barnes nodded in agreement. "It's not unreasonable. Make it so."

Pye slapped his desk as he was known to do and said, "Consider it done gentlemen!"

….

 **Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Student Conference Room**

The _Think Tank_ students were summoned after their normal study hours to the Student Conference Room which was used by the Dorm F Committee of Students Affairs regarding matters pertaining to the Dorm. It was considered a form of self government that gave a degree of autonomy to each dorm. In general it was considered something of an extracurricular activity but there were certain honors in sitting on the Student's Committee. Needless to say the Fast Track students quickly had any hopes dashed of joining in because they were too busy being buried alive with homework assignments.

They were sitting at the long conference table wondering why they'd been summoned when Lieutenant Charles Cross that taught them Starfleet Regulations came in and called them to attention. "Is the entire Fast Track group present?"

He snapped his fingers and pointed at Kloene who instantly said, "Sir, Yes sir! All twenty of us are present sir!"

Cross grinned and said, "Students, remain standing and face me at attention, a guest speaker is here to talk with you. Some of you have met him personally but all of you _know_ him."

Admiral Harold Pye sauntered in with a bodyguard in tow. Cross turned to him and saluted as did all of the Cadets. The Admiral had a twinkle in his eye and asked, "Lieutenant Cross, are all members of the Think Tank present and accounted for?"

"Sir, Yes sir!" said Cross.

"Excellent." said Pye. "At ease Cross." The Admiral seated himself at the head of the table and said, "All of you at ease and be seated. There is a bit I wish to discuss with you about your Cadet Cruise on the _U.S.S. Darwin_." Once the Cadets were seated; Pye said, "I spoke to Captain Schultz and many of your instructors regarding your general attitude regarding the Cadet Cruise. I've reviewed every one of your personal records and you all have one quality above all others; you all want to _learn_. Yes, you all have the desire to succeed and excel but each of you has a thirst for knowledge that can't be quenched. That's why Starfleet needs young people like you. That is why you are Fast Track students."

The Admiral steepled his fingers and narrowed his eyes. He asked, "How many of you want to go on this Cadet Cruise and join the fleet without finishing your education here first? How many of you in your own judgment are _ready_ to join the fleet as officers?" Cross's eyes went wide at such a direct question. He looked down the table and saw not one of the _Think Tank_ raised their hands. The Lieutenant was _shocked_. Admiral Pye glanced at Cross with his bug-eyed look and thought to himself, ' _I've still got it_.' with a mental smirk.

Turning back to the students he said, "Good, very good. It's always good to reach for the stars but going too far too fast….you have to know your limitations. I've spoken to the General Staff and the decision for you to go on your Cadet Cruise on the _U.S.S._ _Darwin_ cannot and will not be reversed. However, when the cruise is complete you will each be evaluated on a case by case basis and those that are not ready to join the fleet will be transferred back to the Academy to complete your final year of course work. Those that are deemed ready will receive their Officer's Commissions at that point. Now, I'm sure you all have questions. Let's start here on my right and go down the table. Due to time constraints we need to keep this short and concise…."

….

Two hours later the Cadets were dismissed and Lieutenant Cross was talking with the Admiral. "I had no idea they felt that way sir." said Cross with a bit of distress in his voice.

Pye grinned and said, "For God's sake Charlie, sit down and speak freely. You are turning blue from bottling it all up."

Charles Cross sat down and took a deep breath. "Sir, I honestly thought that bunch of hotshots would be tearing down the walls to get an early Commission. It seems I was wrong."

The Admiral said, "You or I would have at their age but these kids are different. I've been teaching for forty three years Charlie. Sometimes you stumble across a genius in the lot that truly wants to better themselves first so they can be the Officers they are meant to be later. Starfleet somehow stumbled across twenty of them and packed them in one group. It's extraordinary. They are still kids though and the need a firm hand to guide them. When I asked them if they were ready I would have been shocked if _any_ of them raised their hands."

Cross looked thoughtful and said, "I expected _all_ of them to raise their hands."

"They think before they act unlike most Cadets." added Pye. "That alone makes them special; that's why I've had you teaching the Rules and Regulations. They needed someone to be tough on them because they are all free thinkers. When they started they couldn't stand you but now a year later you've earned their respect. Hell; they admire and respect our own Commander Triella Jackson. Cadets regularly want to run screaming from her."

Cross laughed. "The Cadets call Commander Jackson _The Meat Grinder_ for a reason, sir."

"Let me tell you a little secret Charlie." said Admiral Pye. "The _Think Tank_ Cadets _have never lost_ in a one on one simulation. Oh, they've been destroyed in fleet situations because of a Command decision above them but they've always pulled off something sly and came out on top in a duel. The fact they beat the Kobayashi Maru was just icing on the cake."

"But failure is a great teacher." said Cross.

"It is." agreed Pye. "I believe they'll get a large dose of that reality on this Cadet Cruise. In a simulator you don't have to deal with a poor crew or anything off the bridge. The Cadets will learn. You also have to work with others outside your sphere of classmates and friends. There are dozens of things they will learn the hard way but better on a Cadet Cruise now than in real combat later. That's the one plus I see about these kids taking a little voyage on the _U.S.S. Darwin_ …."

….

 **Stardate 2272.351, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars** , **_U.S.S. Darwin_** **in FRD-15**

Up in the Captain's ready room was Captain Francis James; a 45 year old dark skinned human that had been in Starfleet for 27 years. He was slightly graying and had a handlebar moustache. He looked at the ship's roster and saw all those marked in green were Starfleet Cadets. Captain James muttered to himself, "350 officers and crew and 150 Cadets. On top of that it's a shakedown cruise for one of the most technologically advanced ships in the fleet…." It was no secret that Captain James was less than thrilled to have an inexperienced crew _and_ a bunch of kids. ' _I would have taken a shakedown cruise_ _ **or**_ _a Cadet Cruise but why both? It takes time for a crew to work and live with each other and learn the idiosyncrasies of their ship. I'm going to have a crew that is half lost leading 150 children that are_ _ **completely**_ _lost_."

His first officer Commander Mei Terumi had yet to report aboard and she was en route Starbase 19. Whether she would be there in time for launch was arguable. He'd never spoken to the woman but the auburn haired 30 year old had an outstanding serving record. The first staff meeting had been a mess. The Chief Medical Officer; Doctor Jonathon Walker had gotten himself lost in between Sickbay and the Staff Meeting Room and was late. He was older and his hair was completely gray. Captain James' Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Sassaav was Andorian and had been livid that construction was still going on and that the engineering decks were a mess.

The _Darwin's_ Chief Science Officer Lieutenant Commander Jamie Beam was a short human with light brown hair. She was very timid and seemed afraid to give an opinion. Captain James noted she was newly appointed and had never headed a department before but her lack of nerve didn't bode well….Especially on a Galactic Survey Cruiser that had an enormous science department. On the other hand he was genuinely pleased with his Security Chief Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko. She not only knew what she was doing but was damn good at it….Even if she was a Vulcan that acted like a normal human. She was up for the Starfleet Medal of Valor and that spoke volumes about her mettle.

Captain James' Head Navigator was a younger Lieutenant, a Vulcan woman named Karatek. She didn't have a lot of years under her belt but her record showed she was very talented. The last member of his staff was a dark brown haired human male Lieutenant named Thomas Abraham. James understood that Abraham was an excellent helmsman but was a hotshot and a womanizer. The Captain of the _Darwin_ was less than thrilled about the latter. Francis James didn't like troublemakers and this Lieutenant Abraham had trouble written all over him. Lastly they had a human Communications Officer named Karina Edwards. She was a full Lieutenant and had been in the service longer than Captain James.

….

Down in the aft end of the secondary hull several heavy warp shuttles were rotating between Starfleet Academy on Earth and large shuttle bay of the _U.S.S. Darwin_ where Cadets with their personal effects were offloading. It was barely controlled chaos as the many petty offers barked out orders to the scrambling Starfleet Cadets. The _Think Tank_ was kind of congregated together since they had all come in together on the same shuttle. Naruto felt fortunate that their roommates were the same as at the Academy. At least he had one friend in the mass of confusion. The various Cadets were soon assigned to their quarters by the ship's crewmaster. Naruto and M'rella were on the starboard side of Deck 6 in the primary hull.

The design of the room was quite different from the Academy where virtually everything was shared. Naruto and M'rella had a shared bathroom and shower in between their connected rooms. Everything else was separate. They each had a standard bed, desk and chair as well as a small book shelf. Their quarters were also accessible by separate entrances. These were standard crew quarters and a few Cadets complained about not having Junior Officer's quarters. The ship's crewmaster promptly shoved those particular Cadets in the noisiest and most undesirable quarters available. M'rella was a bit baffled at the situation since she felt their quarters were just fine.

M'rella and Naruto entered their conjoined quarters an immediately set about unloading their belongings. M'rella purred happily, "Hmmm. We are the first ever to have these quarters. It's nice that they are all shiny and new."

Naruto nodded as he investigated the bathroom. There were four side doors that led to their adjacent rooms and walk in closets for their rooms. Naruto looked at his schedule and saw that the ship's mess hall was open at certain times for breakfast, lunch and dinner but that the food replicators were available at all hours. The cadets were to report for general inspection the next morning at 06:00. Naruto said, "We'd best make sure our things are put away neatly in case they inspect our quarters as well."

"It's very different from our dorm room isn't it?" asked M'rella.

The blonde Vulcan said, "These quarters have to be different given the ship's internal structure and the fact it has to move."

M'rella giggled and asked, "How do you think the others are doing? We don't even know where they are yet."

"I'm sure we will learn soon enough." said Naruto. ' _I wonder where T'Lyra's quarters on this ship are. I presume they are arranged similar to mine given these are standard crew quarters_ ….'

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: Stardate 2272.358. We Cadets have been following the orders of the Petty Officers and are primarily going wherever we ordered as masses of work needs to be done to have the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _ready to launch on time. The ship's stores are still not filled and we have unloaded an average of 28.5 shuttles per day. Tons of foodstuffs and supplies are being shipped aboard as if the duration of our mission is a five year one rather than a six month one. I have yet to spend any time bonding with T'Lyra. She is working hard in engineering and I have been somewhere else on the ship at all times. I have received the information of where her quarters are however. She and her friend Brea Mathuin are opposite of M'rella and I on the port side of the saucer section._

 _As we launch in a week whether we are fully prepared or not the tempers of many are running extremely high. Many arguments have broken out amongst the Cadets and the lack of discipline is appalling. It seems that the Petty Officers that are in charge of us Cadets were expecting this and are harshly reprimanding those who get out of line to use a human phrase. We are being inspected continuously as well. I personally am looking forward to getting under way and being assigned to regular duty stations. Unfortunately I currently have no data on what duties I will assume other than I am in the Command Branch_ ….

….

Naruto was in the forward saucer section when he heard a gravelly voice basically roar his name over the public overhead. " _Cadet Naruto report to Chief Engineer Sassaav on Engineering Deck 15 immediately!_ "

The Chief Petty Officer that had been cracking the whip on Naruto's group all day suddenly blanched and said to Naruto, "I don't know what you did but get your ass down to Engineering as quickly as possible. It sounds like Sassaav is in a bad mood."

….

Chief Engineer Sassaav was having a bad day. ' _For all the engine testing that has been done; they never did a warp bubble projection test for various speeds! In our current situation we can't exceed warp two without causing warp fluctuations or even a wormhole!_ ' He glanced over at T'Lyra who was emotionlessly working on the installation of a warp overflow plasma tube. He sighed, ' _Typical Vulcan_.'

 _Flashback…._

 _Sassaav was raging and everyone was basically running for cover to avoid his wrath. "This ship can't exceed Warp Factor Two safely with this formula! What the hell where they thinking? This new warp field is bunk!"_

 _After hearing Sassaav rant and rave for nearly twenty five minutes T'Lyra decided the Andorian was in need of help that she might be able to supply him with. (Otherwise the Chief Engineer was going to go up like an uncontrolled matter-antimatter reaction). She came up to Sassaav and said, "Permission to speak sir."_

 _The Andorian's head pivoted mechanically around to her and he turned to tower over the unflinching T'Lyra. His eyes were full of rage and he said, "_ _ **What is it**_ _Engineer's Mate?"_

 _T'Lyra said simply, "The engines and warp core on this vessel were designed to fit the_ _NCC-1710 Kongo_ _; not the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _."_

 _"I'm well aware of that Engineer's Mate." growled Sassaav. "What does that have to do with my warp formulas? If you think-"_

 _"The warp formulas entered may be exclusively designed to fit the_ _Kongo_ _, not the_ _Darwin_ _." said T'Lyra._

 _Sassaav sighed. '_ _Well, at least this girl is trying to help_ _.' "Computer, what ship is the warp architecture in the_ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin's_ _computer programmed for?"_

 _The computer answered in a pleasant voice, "The program is designated for_ _NCC-1710 U.S.S. Kongo_ _."_

 _The Andorian's dark eyes widened to epic proportions and her said, "How did you know this Engineer's Mate? I-what is your name anyway?"_

 _The brunette Vulcan answered, "I am Engineer's Mate T'Lyra sir. I was involved in the warp core installation and everything had to be adapted to fit the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _. It seemed logical that the computer programming would also have to be adapted to fit this_ _Darwin_ _."_

 _Sassaav said sarcastically, "Then all I need to do is convert a Heavy Cruiser warp field to fit a Galactic Survey Cruiser." He gave a half smile to T'Lyra, "Well, at least the problem is identified. You wouldn't happen to know anyone who knows this new warp architecture forwards and backwards would you Engineer's Mate T'Lyra?" '_ _This could take weeks…._ _' he thought to himself morosely._

 _T'Lyra raised her eyebrows and said, "Actually I do…."_

 _…._

 _"Cadet Naruto report to Chief Engineer Sassaav on Engineering Deck 15 immediately!"_

Flashback end….

….

Naruto came speed walking off the turbolift and directly on to Deck 15 of Engineering. The blonde Vulcan saw his mate and T'Lyra motioned him towards a large Andorian that was pacing around like a big cat in a cage directly in front of a large hologram of the _Darwin's_ warp field.

The blonde came up to Sassaav and saluted crisply. "Cadet Naruto M'Fau reporting for duty Chief Engineer Sassaav."

Sassaav turned to face Naruto and pointed to the holographic image of the _Darwin._ He said, "Can you tell me what is wrong with this picture Cadet?" The Andorian had a smile on his face that had everyone trembling in fear. (His smile was the last step before meltdown).

Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "Clearly someone tried to apply a _Constitution II_ warp field over the _U.S.S. Darwin's_ hull structure. It would work until approximately warp 1.96 before it started to collapse. It's highly illogical that anyone would do such a thing."

The Chief Engineer was genuinely impressed that Naruto figured it out in mere seconds. Sassaav said, "You seem to know this warp architecture program quite well."

Naruto turned and locked eyes with Sassaav. "I created the program." said the blonde Vulcan. "Do you need it corrected sir?"

"You _created_ the program?" asked the Andorian.

"That is correct sir." said Naruto.

"Engineer's Mate T'Lyra said you _knew_ it well but she never said you _made_ it." said Sassaav.

"It is classified Chief Engineer Sassaav." the blonde clarified. "She was following the correct protocols. Do you wish for me to correct it sir?"

Sassav blinked and said, "By all means proceed Cadet. How can I help?"

Naruto said. "Take the secondary station so you can enter the appropriate override codes as I have no access on this ship." Naruto's eyes lit up with chakra and he said, "I'll take care of the rest."

….

Sassaav watched as the wild eyed Vulcan's fingers danced across the data pad keys in a blur. For the next 40 minutes Naruto broke down the algorithms and reconstructed them to fit the _Darwin_ exclusively. The big Andorian was watching transfixed as the young blonde shot through formulas faster than the eye could follow. "Seven more minutes." said Naruto as the new warp field maps started appearing rapidly on the holographic image of the _Darwin_. Seven minutes later Naruto tapped the final key and said, "Execute!"

The hologram changed from a ship with various oddly shaped warp fields to completely seamless and smooth warp bubbles around the ship. "Computer, calculate maximum warp speed with current warp field program."

"Working." said the computer. "The maximum speed of _U.S.S. Darwin_ with the current warp field is 9.06."

Naruto simply said, "Acceptable. Display warp curvature between warp 3.5 and 4.5."

' _Acceptable?! What is his definition of good?!_ ' wondered Sassaav. Then he saw a slight 'kink' in the warp field at the stern and frowned. Everything else looked fabulous to him. "What's this Cadet?"

"There is a drag in acceleration between warp 3.6 and 4.1. I will need to program it manually." said Naruto. "The fantail*① with the drone rack on it is causing an unacceptable lag in increase of velocity."

The Andorian Engineer wondered a bit about Naruto. He didn't look that old and was obviously a genius. Naruto didn't look tired but the sheer amount of calculations the blonde Vulcan had done in the last hour was staggering. Sassaav said, "Let's take a break before we get back at it Cadet." Naruto nodded as he trailed the Chief Engineer over to a small worker's lounge with a food replicator in it. Sassaav had Terran coffee and Naruto ordered Plomeek Tea.

Sassaav took as sip of his drink and got a sour look on his face. "This human coffee is an acquired taste. Out of the replicator it's worse. How old are you Cadet? You must have quite an education."

"I'm 19 years old sir." replied Naruto. "I hold two Doctorates from the Vulcan Science Academy. One is in Astrophysics and Astrodynamics. The other is in Genetics and Xenobiology." Seeing the Chief Engineers puzzled look Naruto added; "I have wide interests sir."

"I guess you do _Doctor_." said Sasaav. "How long do you think it will take to fix that 'kink' around the fantail?"

"It's a simple matter of remapping the fantail sir, it's just time consuming doing it manually." said the blonde. "I would estimate twelve to sixteen hours depending on the drone rack's configuration."

Seeing Naruto had already was done with his tea Sassaav said, "Let's get back to it Doctor Naruto."

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: Stardate 2272.359. After 12 hours 45 minutes with a 30 minute meal break Chief Engineer Sassaav and I successfully remapped the warp field around the_ _Darwin's_ _fantail and eliminated the acceleration issue without too much difficulty. Commander Sassaav was very curious as to why I was in the Command Brach instead of Sciences or engineering. I explained to him that Starfleet chose the Command track for me and I had little choice in the matter. He simply nodded and said he understood now and was looking forward to the new warp field's performance in real life. He is an interesting person but seems to have very little in common with my friend Shar other than they are both Anodorians._

 _I spoke to Shar later and he said that Engineer Sassaav was probably a 'hothead' from the equator of Andor as opposed to a 'cooler head' like Shar from the polar regions. I was aware that Andorians were partially exothermic and most of their warriors were from the warmer climes on Andor but I was unaware that they themselves used slang like 'hotheads.' I learn new things every day…._

 _…._

 **Stardate 2273.001, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars** , **_U.S.S. Darwin_** **in FRD-15**

Captain James was in his Command chair and turned to his helmsman Thomas Abraham. "Thrusters at station keeping Mister Abraham."

"All decks report in green." said Science Officer Jamie Beam.

Communications Officer Karina Edwards reported, "FRD-15 reports all tractor links and gravity pylons are cleared. We are free floating."

Shizuka Nadeshiko said, "All decks are secured."

"Thrusters ahead full Mister Abraham. Let's make this happen." said Captain James.

….For the first time in months the _U.S.S. Darwin_ was moving under her own power….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Fantail: The rounded overhanging part of the stern of a vessel, especially a warship.

Well, it took 25 Chapters but Naruto, T'Lyra and the _Think Tank_ are finally in space. Here is a list of the _Darwin's_ Staff Officers for future reference:

 **Crew of the** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Captain Francis James

First Officer Mei Terumi

Chief Engineering Officer Sassaav

Chief Medical Officer Jonathon Walker

Chief Sciences Officer Jamie Beam

Security Chief Shizuka Nadeshiko

Navigator Karatek

Helmsman Thomas Abraham

Communications Officer Karina Edwards

Next chapter we will begin Space Truckin' on the _U.S.S. Darwin_. See you next time. Blue out. 1/20/18


	26. Chapter 26

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter we'll see the U.S.S. Darwin and her crew's first adventures in space. Here is chapter 26. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

For those of you keeping track; here is an updated timeline:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 James T. Kirk Born

Stardate 2336. = 2336 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched

Stardate 2248. = 2248 = Y138 Shizuka Nadeshiko Born

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Republic NCC-1371 Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 U.S.S. Enterprise 5 year Mission (TOS)

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's _koon-ut-la_

Stardate 2271. = 2271 = Y161 Naruto and T'Lyra enter Starfleet

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 V'Ger Incident (Star Trek I)

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 End of Naruto's first semester/Naruto and T'Lyra return to Vulcan

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 Subcommander Kurenai promoted to her first command, the RIS Scimitar.

Stardate 2273. = 2273 = Y163 Cadet Cruise aboard U.S.S. Darwin

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2273.001,_** **_Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Orbital Shipyards, Planet Mars_** _,_ _ **U.S.S. Darwin**_ _ **in FRD-15**_

 _Captain James was in his Command chair and turned to his helmsman Thomas Abraham. "Thrusters at station keeping Mister Abraham."_

 _"All decks report in green." said Science Officer Jamie Beam._

 _Communications Officer Karina Edwards reported, "FRD-15 reports all tractor links and gravity pylons are cleared. We are free floating."_

 _Shizuka Nadeshiko said, "All decks are secured."_

 _"Thrusters ahead full Mister Abraham. Let's make this happen." said Captain James._

 _….For the first time in months the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _was moving under her own power…._

 _…._

Chapter 26

 **Stardate 2273. 031 Kappa Fornacis System, Planet Deneva**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.031: Captain Francis James reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is visiting the Planet Deneva which has fully recovered from the blastoneuron neural parasites attack five years ago.*① We are here to return Governor Helana Albrecht to her homeworld after visiting the Federation Capital on Earth. Since the Colony is a classic example of a Class M Planet the cadets are using our special sensors to 'map and explore' Deneva from orbit as practice for actual exploration. We have permission from the Deneva Colony to send away teams down to 'explore' some of the unsettled areas, and conduct a general survey of the planet to see if it is 'safe' for habitation._

 _…._

The _U.S.S. Darwin_ had been out testing all of its systems for a month now and Captain James was drilling the crew with simulations of all kinds. The Cadets were putting out a good effort once they had some discipline pounded into them. Naruto was at the helm in auxiliary control and was very bored. Likewise Samui was at the navigator's station. They were under the command the ship's regular helmsman Lieutenant Thomas Abraham who was actually bored to tears himself. All the real action was up on the bridge….maybe. He signed off on a standard duty report that basically said _absolutely nothing_ was going on.

Well, Thomas Abraham wasn't going to have any more of this boredom. He decided to strike up a conversation with the beautiful Samui who was earning a reputation as an Ice Queen on board the _Darwin_. "So Cadet Schrodinger, I understand you were one of the fast track Cadets aboard the _Darwin_. Does that mean you have a degree in something already?"

"I have a Doctoral Degree in both Cosmology and Astronomy from Cambridge University on Earth sir." said the blonde Augment.

' _Gee, what do I say to that?_ ' thought Abraham. ' _I graduated at the bottom of my class because I was having too much fun chasing women to study_.' "So what got you interested in those subjects?" he asked.

Samui pivoted around to face the Lieutenant. "My parents are Astronomers by profession and taught me about the stars as well." A light started flashing on Samui's touchpad and she quickly pivoted back to see what it was. "Starboard thruster number two is acting up again." she growled.

Lieutenant Abraham got on the comm and said, Auxiliary Control to Bridge; reporting starboard thruster number two is-"

The comm fired back, " _This is Captain James Auxiliary Control. We've already noted it. Put it in the next Log entry Lieutenant_."

Abraham sat back and said, "I wonder when they are going to fix that bloody thing."

The doors to the Auxiliary control opened and Commander Mei Terumi walked onto the deck with a sway in her hips. Her mid back length auburn hair was _just barely_ within regulations. She had her green eyes locked upon the screen and said, "I see all is quiet down here Mister Abraham….How are you liking the feel of the Command Chair?" she asked with a smile.

Thomas Abraham was completely smitten with the Commander but he also feared her wrath. She could be lots of fun to work with but if you broke ranks then heaven help you.

That was when there was a rumble and the ship started to roll hard to port. Naruto moved like lightning and said, "Starboard thruster number two is at maximum thrust. Compensating with port thrusters." The ship slowly leveled itself.

Samui turned to Commander Terumi and said, "Starfleet regulations demand we move into a higher orbit if we have any sort of control problems while in a low orbit."

Mei smiled and said, "Take us 10,000 kilometers up helm. Navigation plot our new orbit while I contact the bridge." The First Officer was cool as a cucumber as she contacted the Captain and explained that they compensated for the faulty thruster before the Bridge Crew reacted. Captain James didn't like the chain of command being undermined but given the nature of the situation Auxiliary Control acted in the best interests of the ship. As soon as the new orbit was plotted the data was sent up to the Bridge where they reassumed control of the vessel. "Carry on." said Commander Terumi as the ship settled into a higher orbit.

' _What an incredible woman_.' thought Lieutenant Abraham. "Good job Cadets." he said. "Now maybe we'll get that thruster repaired."

….

 **Deck 7 Starboard Number Two Thruster control room**

Crewman Brea Mathuin had an extinguisher and was helping with damage control when her friend Engineer's Mate T'Lyra arrived to help shut the faulty thruster down completely. Several of the crewman came running out and one said to T'Lyra, "You are the ranking person Ma'am. Petty Officer Davis is unconscious."

T'Lyra said, "Evacuate the Control Room while I throw the kill switch." Three minutes later everyone was out and T'Lyra broke the safety panel open and threw the kill switch on the thruster which cut all power to it. T'Lyra got on the comm and said clearly, "Engineer's Mate T'Lyra to Engineering, the number two starboard thruster has been shut down via kill switch." She then switched channels and immediately called sick bay for the four injured crewmembers….

….

Chief Engineer Sassaav was soon on site and said, "There was no other choice in the matter." He activated the airtight lockdown and turned to his people. "We had four with minor injuries. It could have been a lot worse considering the way the thruster blew. We'll have to inspect it from the outside but unless I miss my guess the whole thruster module needs to be replaced in dock. The damage didn't spread any further thanks to Engineer's Mate T'Lyra throwing the kill switch. Let's get this blocked off with safety barriers."

The big Andorian got on the com and said, "This is Chief Engineer Sassaav to Bridge."

Captain James answered, " _Go ahead Chief. What's the damage?_ "

"Starboard thruster number two is completely shut down." said Sassaav. "I can't make a full assessment without an external inspection which will require us to be at station keeping."

" _Understood Chief. We'll have to pull away from Deneva and come to a complete halt_." said the Captain. " _Go ahead and get your people suited up. Better now than later_."

"Aye, sir. Sassaav out." The Chief Engineer said to his people. "Let's get moving once this is cordoned off."

Ten minutes later Brea and T'Lyra were headed down to engineering to fire up one of the four Workbees to help with the repair work. Brea said, "Is it just me or was Chief Sassaav completely calm during an emergency situation?"

T'Lyra said, "I noticed that as well. It seems that he only gets angry when he has the luxury of doing so."

Brea and T'Lyra soon inspected the two seat Workbee and took it down to the shuttle bay to get overhead inspection lights fitted. Chief Sassaav came over in his space suit and said, "Why aren't you two suited up?"

T'Lyra saluted and said, "There are already ten Cadets here. We weren't ordered to be in the inspection party."

"You are now; get suited up." ordered the Andorian gruffly. "I need people out there I can count on, not a bunch of bumbling Cadets."

….

The two young women quickly got their survival suits on and got in the two seat Workbee. As soon as the _Darwin_ was announced to be at a full stop and at station keeping, the shuttle bay doors opened and Brea said, "Here we go again!" from the back seat as T'Lyra smoothly engaged the Workbee's thrusters and launched the tiny craft off in flight mode. Within a couple of minutes the Workbee was at station keeping with the overhead lights pointed directly at the damaged thruster on the Darwin. It didn't take a genius to figure out the thruster was beyond repair. The lower half of it was completely perforated with holes due to the metal not being able to withstand the thrust overload earlier.

About that time Sassaav came spacewalking out of the starboard airlock on the saucer section. He was travelling easily as walking across a room while the Cadets stumbled and wobbled about unsteadily. Ten minutes later the Chief Engineer growled, "I'm glad all of you Cadets all _finally_ made it! I've done a cursory inspection and I want you each to do the same. I want you each to thoroughly check things over and give me your recommendation as an engineer."

Soon each and every one of the Cadets had done their inspection except the big Orion Kloene. He said, "Workbee; please direct your overhead lights upwards where I can see through the tears in the thruster's outer skin."

' _Finally, one of them is_ _thinking_.' thought Sassaav. Kloene poked about a bit and said, "This thruster should never have passed quality control tests at the factory. The internal jets are bent. No wonder we've had trouble since we launched. These thrusters come as modules so the entire thruster unit needs replacement. The internals are faulty and the externals are ruined."

Another cadet asked, "Can't we bend it back to jury rig it?"

Sassaav resisted his urge to facepalm and put that Cadet down for some remedial training.

Kloene said, "Thruster jets are made out of tritanium*② alloy just like the ship's bulkheads. You don't ' _bend_ ' that stuff. The best thing we can do here is patch it up airtight with plating until a repair ship can bring us a new thruster and replace it. The only other option would be to head to a dock and replace it there."

"Cadet Kloene is correct." said the Chief Engineer. "Though several of you suggested we plate it over; none of you gave a reason _why_ like he did. Everybody back inside where I'll submit a damage report to the Captain. Plan to do some welding in the very near future. We're not going anywhere with a hole in the side of _my_ ship." Sassaav turned to the Workbee and gave a thumbs up. "Excellent work you two. Head back to the shuttle bay."

….

While the engineering Cadets were stumbling back into the hull T'Lyra and Brea Mathuin landed smoothly in the shuttle bay and started calculating the materials they would need for the minor patch job over the damaged thruster module. After quietly checking the ship's inventory they found there was plenty of tritanium alloy for the patch job. "I wonder if any of the Cadets can actually handle a plasma torch. I have this feeling we're going to be doing all the work again T'Lyra."

T'Lyra said, "I concur. The Cadets seem to be lacking in practice."

….

 **Captain's Office**

Sassaav said, "In short we need a new thruster module. Starbase 10 should have it."

Captain James sighed. "Perhaps there is a repair ship we can rendezvous with Chief. We've already corrected how many problems?"

"One hundred thirty four sir." said Sassaav. "Considering this ship is basically a new type since the refit that really isn't that bad."

"How are your cadets doing?" asked James.

Sassaav ran his fingers through his snow white hair. "I've seen better. A few seem to taking their jobs seriously. Cadet Kloene really has his act together for instance."

The Captain asked, "Is he one of the fast track Cadets?"

"Yes sir." said Sassaav. "I've tried not to be biased but they seem to be better than their peers."

James nodded. "It seems that way across the board. The fast track Cadets are a cut above the rest according to every department head."

….

 **Sick Bay**

Doctor Jonathan Walker was supervising his protégé Doctor Shelly Wilson as she finished patching up Petty Officer Davis (again). Walker was thoroughly impressed with not only her skills but her bedside manner. She had a natural finesse with patients that many took years to develop. Davis touched where he'd been concussed and said, "Thank you Doctor Wilson. I feel like the vertigo is gone now."

Shelly nodded and said, "Do take care Mister Davis. We can't have you injuring yourself this seriously on a regular basis." ' _I've already treated him twice before this month. Is he just danger prone?_ '

Her fellow fast track Cadet Gregory Hammond was treating another patient on the opposite side of the sick bay with a calf muscle injury. He studiously took care of his patient while pondering, ' _Sick Bay is more like a clinic. Shelly is an excellent neurosurgeon and I'm no slouch. I was hoping to put my training to work but I guess we should feel blessed there haven't been any major injuries_.'

….

 _Personal Log of Doctor Jonathan Walker: Stardate 2273.031. In the last month I have been working with a group of twenty five Cadets and it has been taxing. On the other hand the five fast track Cadets are outstanding. Doctor Shelly Wilson is exemplary and Gregory Hammond is excellent as well. I would feel confident in letting either one of them take care of our patients without hesitation. I have taken a total hands-off approach with the two of them in the last week with complete success. I could not be more pleased with their progress._

 _The other fast track Cadets are serving in a nurse's capacity as their actual specialties are in xenobiology and other life sciences. Needless to say the Science Department is grabbing them about half of their duty time. This is fine given I'm rotating the other Cadets through in a nursing capacity. They don't seem to have the work ethic of the fast track Cadets though. They aren't proactive or determined to learn as Doctor Wilson or Doctor Hammond who are constantly researching. The first month has been interesting indeed_ ….

….

 **Security Chief Shizuka Nadeshiko's Quarters**

Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko was reading up on subject matters that Vulcans generally didn't discuss with others in a Starfleet Medical Journal: _Pon Farr_ and _Plak tow_. The article was written by a very well known Starfleet Doctor named Leonard H. McCoy. As the young Vulcan woman read her green eyes got larger and larger disbelief….

 **Pon Farr** : During Pon Farr, adult Vulcans undergo a neurochemical imbalance that takes on a form of madness (culminating in the _Plak tow_ ). A Vulcan can die within eight days if their Pon Farr is not satiated. Vulcan males experience Pon Farr every seven years of their adult life. The imbalance during Pon Farr can be transferred to others via a telepathic mating bond. It can also be transferred to other species though the same telepathic bond though this is rare. Also during this period, the affected Vulcan's cortical levels rise and fall, as the brain's regulatory system appears to shut down when serotonin levels become unbalanced. Vulcan females also endure Pon Farr. Normally, their hormones and endorphins rise to dangerous levels. Like males, females have to mate or otherwise receive treatment to survive.

 **Plak tow** : Plak tow is a Vulcan phrase literally meaning _blood fever_. It is characterized by irrational and instinct driven behavior, a combative nature and a high fever, especially during the final stages of Pon Farr. Normally a Vulcan in this state is unable to speak or think clearly and the desire to mate is very strong and irresistible. The _blood fever_ is initiated by a telepathic mating bond between two Vulcans, but rare instances of Vulcans mating with members of other races do exist.

Shizuka would have been sweating a river if she had the sweat glands to do so. She thought nervously, ' _This journal is saying that I could get so horny that I could lose my fucking mind and possibly_ _ **die**_ _if I don't get laid by a Vulcan guy. I'm 24 years old; I'm too young to go!_ ' The black haired Vulcan girl decided to talk to the Vulcan woman she knew best, T'Lyra. Going through the ship's directory she found out that the brunette Engineer's Mate was living on Deck 6 in room 135-B (Her sidekick Brea Mathuin lived in the adjoining 135-A).

Soon Shizuka was at the door of T'Lyra's room and heard music (?) of some sort coming through the door. Though muffled by the door Shizuka could tell it was loud, heavy and very distorted. Shizuka made out the lyrics just barely as she knocked on T'Lyra's door:

 _'Screams break the silence, Waking from the dead of night  
Vengeance is boiling, He's returned to kill the light  
Then when he's found who he's looking for, Listen in awe and you'll hear him_

 _-Bark at the moon!'_

The music stopped and T'Lyra opened door wearing her off duty clothing which was gray shaded urban camo pants and a tight black tee shirt that showed off he ample bust nicely. The only thing that was 'normal' was T'Lyra's long hair was tied back in a tight braid. Shizuka had never seen T'Lyra off duty and was a bit shocked at the younger woman's appearance. The Engineer's Mate saluted and asked in her usual dry tone, "How may I be of service Lieutenant Nadeshiko?" Noting Shizuka was in uniform, T'Lyra added, "I can be in uniform in-"

Shizuka waved her hands. "There is no need T'Lyra. I came to visit you off duty. I wanted to ummm….talk to you about something _private_."

The brunette beauty raised an eyebrow and said, "Please come in."

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." said Shizuka.

T'Lyra said, "I was just listening to a Terran classical musician named Ozzy Osbourne. I was wondering how it would sound played on my ka'athyra." Seeing the disturbed look on Shizuka's face the brunette simply said, "It's an acquired taste."

"I see." said Shizuka as she followed the slightly shorter woman inside. ' _How do I start this conversation?_ ' "Ummm….I've been reading about Vulcan mating issues and I had some questions."

T'Lyra got a totally flat look on her face and said while motioning towards the chair at the desk, "Please sit." T'Lyra sat on her bunk and asked, "What specific things did you wish to discuss?"

Shizuka scratched at her neck nervously and said, "Pon Farr and Plak tow. I read about them in a Starfleet Medical Journal and they raised some concerns for me."

"And you are concerned because you don't have a chosen mate." said T'lyra.

The Security Chief hated sounding weak but wanted to squeal, ' _I don't wanna die!_ ' "Is it true that you can actually _die_ if you don't get laid?" asked Shizuka.

"Get laid?" asked T'Lyra. "Is that a human idiom for mating?"

Shizuka blushed slightly green. "Yes, it means mating."

' _Another human phrase for my vocabulary_.' thought T'Lyra. "Pon Farr is generally not discussed but since you were raised by humans seeking out another Vulcan to discuss it is the logical choice. I've never experienced Pon Farr."

Shizuka face faulted and asked, "Are you telling me you are a virgin?"

' _At least I already knew that term from Brea_.' The Engineer's Mate said, "I never said that; I said that I've never experienced Pon Farr. Vulcans mate like anyone else. Pon Farr is not a prerequisite for mating but when Pon Farr does occur then one **_must_** mate."

….

 **Hours later** ….

T'Lyra waved goodbye to her oddest friend Shizuka Nadeshiko. ' _I remember when Mother and Father explained these things to me. I do not recall things being so awkward or confusing. It was very straightforward and simple. Shizuka's slang was incredibly crass and vulgar but she was raised by humans so I do not believe it's her fault….I hope Naruto doesn't mind that I had to use him as an example. Of course, he is the logical choice for me to describe as he is my mate.'_

….

 _Flashback…._

 _"But my_ _ **life**_ _is on the line here T'Lyra!" Shizuka nearly shrieked._

 _T'Lyra said, "If it is a worst case scenario then my mate Naruto will take care of your needs."_

 _Shizuka's green eyes widened. "He will?"_

 _"It's the logical thing to do." said the mentally exhausted T'Lyra._

 _Flashback end…._

….

' _Or perhaps Naruto will completely snap at the very concept…._ ' thought T'Lyra. ' _I believe I need a drink_.'

….

 **Stardate 2273.032, Deck 7 Starboard Number Two Thruster**

The next morning at 06:00 the Cadets were ordered to start plating off the bad thruster module and Sassaav was going to have them do it come hell or high water….all for naught. The exterior patch job was atrocious and the big Andorian was fit to be tied. After numerous expletives he had them rip it all out and start over with the guidance of the former construction crew. What should have been a one hour job turned into a six hour one and the various petty officers guiding the cadets were immensely relieved when the job was done.

T'Lyra and Brea were in two separate Workbees keeping the area lit and hauling tritanium alloy plating to and from the shuttle bay the whole morning. Brea was cursing up a storm on a private channel about the cadets ' _not being able to weld a straight line_ ' and T'Lyra had lapsed into stoicism waiting for the cadets to get done.

Inside the number two thruster room were Kloene and Daniel Simmons who were programming the ship's other thrusters to compensate for the loss of the number two thruster. Kloene was reading the actual power output of each thruster (not what it was rated at) to make sure the program was right. It took about two hours to complete but when the two fast track Cadets were done the thruster systems were good to go. The Engineering Officer over them gave them a 'well done' and the two members of the _Think Tank_ wondered what was taking so long on the exterior.

Simmons said to Kloene as they sat down for a break. "I'm sure glad we aren't outside welding. I heard they've already ripped all the work out once."

"Better them than us." said Kloene in agreement.

….

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.032: Captain Francis James reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is leaving the Kappa Fornacis system to rendezvous with the Auxiliary repair ship_ _U.S.S. Vestal_ _which is bringing us a new thruster unit from Starbase 10. The last of the away teams have been retrieved from Deneva and we should be meeting up with the_ _Vestal_ _in two days. For now the crew is in high spirits that we are underway again. A positive that has occurred is our Chief Science Officer Jamie Beam is finally getting the hang of commanding others. The special sensor teams are going like clockwork now. She has a lot to learn but my doubts about her seem to be unfounded which is a huge relief in my book_ ….

….

 **Bridge**

Cadet Rafi was at the helm working with Lieutenant Karatek who was at navigation. The ship rattled like an earthquake had rippled through it and Rafi compensated in an instant. Commander Terumi was in the Captain's chair and said, "Yellow Alert. This can't be good. Helm; drop us out of warp. We may be having more technical issues." She turned to her Science officer and said, "Tell me what you've got Lieutenant Commander Beam."

Jamie was already on the Special Sensor viewer and said, "The cause of the rumbling is external. I'm picking up an unstable wormhole in the nearby Kappa Triumvirate System. It's throwing off temporal waves. We should investigate it." Another wave rattled the _Darwin_ and Commander Beam said, "All special sensors lock onto that wormhole. Everyone get me as much data as you can….And get me some astrophysicists up here on the bridge. I need someone whose expertise covers temporal waves. Most of us up here now are life sciences." She asked the computer, "Computer, display a list of personnel aboard who specialize in astrophysics."

The computer replied, "Working." as another wave shook the _Darwin_. It soon listed five individuals.

Commander Terumi said on the overhead, "Captain James to the bridge."

As the various blue shirted science department swarmed about the bridge Captain James came off the turbolift and said, "Report! What's the situation Commander Terumi?"

Mei smiled and said, "It seems we've found an unstable wormhole that is throwing out temporal waves in the Kappa Triumvirate System. That's what's rattling the ship. Sciences wants to investigate it but I'm concerned it may put the ship in danger."

….

 **Auxiliary Control**

" _Cadet Naruto report to the Bridge immediately_." blared the overhead. Four others had been called as well.

' _This must have something to do with the rumbling going on_.' Naruto thought as he stood up from his auxiliary helm station. Another Cadet quickly took his place at the station.

The _Darwin_ rumbled again as blonde Vulcan stepped onto the turbolift to the bridge and his brain was racing with theories….

Naruto soon stepped on the turbolift to the bridge and noticed the science stations were swarmed. "Cadet Naruto reporting as ordered." he said as he saluted.

He saw Commander Terumi motion him over and she said, "Sciences is in need of your expertise. Speak with Lieutenant Commander Beam."

Naruto went over to Commander Jamie Beam who was speaking to his fellow _Think Tank_ Cadet Maya Ayasugi. Ayasugi waved him over with a look of relief on her face. Commander Beam asked, "Name and specialty Cadet?"

"I am Cadet Naruto M'Fau and I have a Doctorate in Astrophysics and Astrodynamics as well as Xenobiology and Genetics." stated the blonde. "How may I serve?"

Jamie Beam looked at Naruto and thought, ' _This is the one Ayasugi recommended_.' "We've spotted an unstable wormhole and it's throwing off temporal waves. I want you to take a look at it. Ayusugi, take him over to Special Sensor station number 3."

Ayasugi nodded and led Naruto over to the station. She said, "I'm glad you're here Naruto. I have a hunch something is inside that wormhole but I can't prove it."

Naruto nodded and sat at the central seat of the Special Sensor Station. He observed in silence as two temporal waves passed over the Darwin. "Fascinating, I detect two cruiser sized vessels in close proximity inside the wormhole judging by the size and strength of the waves. They are masked by the side of the wormhole from the angle we are at."

"What?" whispered Commander Beam. "Show me Cadet."

She gasped as she saw the mathematic formulas for two ships overlaid the wormhole. "This shows two unstable warp fields overlapping." she said.

Beam turned and saw Mei Terumi standing there. Terumi smile in her usual way and said "Well…?"

"The Cadet's math is irrefutable." said Beam. "They are in need of rescue as those two warp fields clashing are going to destroy them."

"Can we identify the vessels?" asked Terumi. "If they are in trouble we should render assistance."

"The only way we can identify the vessels is visually due to interference from the wormhole phenomena." said Naruto. "We need to change positions to do so."

Captain James said from his Command Chair. How close can we get without the _Darwin_ suffering damage?

"300,000 kilometers sir." said Naruto. "We are currently at 600,000 kilometers."

Mei Terumi asked, what happens if we get closer than 300,000 kilometers?"

Naruto turned to the commander and said, "The temporal waves would tear us apart."

Beam looked a little pale and Captain James asked, "How are those two ships intact then Cadet?"

"The two ships are generating the temporal waves and are unaffected by them." said Ayasugi. The clashing warp fields are what has them in danger. If they shut down one of the warp fields then the issue would be resolved and the temporal waves would cease."

The wormhole suddenly twisted like a snake and the maw of it faced the _U.S.S. Darwin_ looking like a vortex leading straight into hell. It tried to envelop them but didn't quite reach. An enormous temporal wave hit the _Darwin_ and sent the Galactic Survey Cruiser plummeting away. Somehow Rafi brought the tumbling cruiser back under control using impulse power only. "She's fighting me the whole way!" roared Rafi as she the _Darwin_ leveled out.

The crew was seeing triple images of themselves and one of the bridge crew yelled, "What the hell?" in an echoing voice as the sound.

"Stay calm!" roared Captain James as everyone stumbled to their feet. "Get us out of here helm; maximum warp." he said as his voice echoed.

"If we use warp power within this temporal field then we will be destroyed Captain." said Naruto.

James looked at Naruto with hard eyes and said, "What do we **_do_** then Cadet?"

Naruto locked eyes with Rafi and said, "Let Cadet Rafi ride the temporal waves out on impulse power alone. She can do it. The waves will give us all the propulsion we need sir."

"How many more waves can we take?" asked Commander Terumi as her image and echoing voice started to spread out.

"Three Ma'am." replied Chief Science Officer Beam.

For a moment there was dead silence. Mei turned to Captain James and said in a triple voice, "Your orders sir?"

Captain James turned to Rafi and thought, ' _This Trill girl is younger than my daughter_.' "Helm, ride the waves and get us out of here."

Rafi smiled with a wild look in her eyes. "Aye, aye sir!" The Trill winked at Naruto and thought, ' _Thanks for believing in me Naruto_.'

"The next wave is incoming." said Ayasugi. "30 seconds to impact."

Rafi moved he fingers across the controls and the big cruiser pivoted so the shockwave would hit the _Darwin_ broadside. The wave hit but was spread out over a bigger area that pushed the _Darwin_ along instead of smashing into her like a punch to the jaw. The young Trill woman adjusted the thrusters and started riding the temporal wave along. The ship rumbled as the wave finally overtook them and passed through. Rafi immediately turned the ship again at full impulse to gain speed before the next wave hit.

….

' ** _Yeeeaaah!_** ' thought Rafi as they rode the crest of the third wave even smoother than the second. "Now I have it. Sciences let me know the second I can kick in the warp engines."

Naruto watched in silence as they exited the reach of the wormhole at 300,000 Kilometers. "We are clear." said Naruto.

Captain James nodded and said "Helm, maximum warp _now!"_

 _….The U.S.S Darwin turned into a streak of color and vanished to the naked eye…._

….

"We are out of the range of temporal waves sir." said Ayasugi with obvious relieve in her voice.

"Drop us out of warp Cadet Rafi." said Captain James. "….And very well done." He exhaled deeply to calm himself. ' _I can't believe we made it out alive….That girl Rafi is something else_.' The Captain saw Rafi look over at Naruto and grin. He would have sworn that the blonde Vulcan gave back a ghost of a smile.

Shizuka said on the overhead, "All decks report in for damage assessment ." Then she smiled and said, "Hey, I'm not seeing triple anymore."

Commander Terumi turned over to Naruto and Ayasugi and said, "Do you two have an explanation for this phenomenon?"

Ayasugi said, "We were seeing our past, present and future selves simultaneously Commander. The closer we got to the source of the waves the worse the effect would have multiplied."

….

 **Captain's Office**

 _Ship's Log, Supplemental: Captain Francis James reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is currently at station keeping outside the reach of the wormhole trying to identify the two ships that are trapped within. We dare not approach the wormhole again. One brush with death was enough for us. There were a lot of minor injuries but all hands have report in and the damage to the_ _Darwin_ _is minor. I have to commend our helmsman Cadet Rafi for her outstanding skill at the helm. I honestly don't think anyone else on the ship could have done it. When Cadet Naruto said she could do it he had the greatest confidence in her. Something in my gut told me to trust the boy's judgment and we are alive because we did…._

….

 **Bridge**

Naruto was carefully observing the two cruisers that were trapped in the wormhole. He felt a bit helpless watching from a safe distance. There was nothing the crew of the _Darwin_ could do but observe now. Approaching closer meant destruction. Starfleet Command had already been informed that the Kappa Triumvirate System was off limits until the wormhole collapsed back into wherever it came from. In his scientific mind Naruto wondered where and when the other end of the wormhole led….

Ayusugi was looking through the visor tied into the sensor and said, "One of the warp fields just collapsed! Ship B just imploded!"

Naruto quickly grabbed the secondary visor and said, "The wormhole is collapsing. Ship A is clear of it."

Mei Turumi and Jamie beam were on the pair of _Think Tank_ Students like hawks. "On main screen!" both women ordered.

The main screen showed a tiny ship floating dead in space as the wormhole imploded behind it. There was a blinding flash of light and space returned to normal except for the cruiser sized vessel that had been ejected from the storm. Mei took the command chair and said, "Captain to the Bridge!"

Shizuka said, "Condition yellow; shields up! That vessel may be hostile!"

Mei said, "Magnify the ship on screen. Get me an identification on that hull type. Communications, open hailing frequencies!"

"Commander, I recognize that hull type." said Shizuka. "It's an NX type hull. They were around before the United Federation of Planets was formed."

"NX type…?" asked Commander Beam.

"They were the first Terran ships to reach Warp Factor 5. My dad has a model of one back home on Earth." explained the Security Chief.

"Identification confirmed." said Naruto. "United Earth Starfleet NX Light Cruiser Class*③. They were in service during the 2150s. It appears to be powered but is adrift."

"That ship is over one hundred years old…." said Commander Terumi. "Start scanning that antique for life forms…."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Disaster struck Deneva in 2267 when a visiting transport ship from Ingraham B brought deadly blastoneuron neural parasites with them that took over the colonists' minds, making them build spaceships so that they could spread their influence. Fortunately, their plans were halted by Captain James T. Kirk (whose brother Sam and family were stationed on Deneva) and the crew of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. Deaths from the invasion numbered close to twenty-one thousand, including Deneva's governor Newton Armitage, Sam Kirk, and his wife Aurelan. Deputy governor Helana Albrecht took over leadership of the colony after that. (See the TOS Episode "Operation—Anihilate!")

*② Tritanium is an ore known to be 21.4 times as hard as diamond. It is found, among other places, on the planet Argus X. Tritanium alloy is a widely-used construction material. The bulkheads of NX-01 _Enterprise_ were composed of tritanium alloy.

*③ The NX-class was a type of explorer starship in the United Earth Starfleet in service during the mid-22nd century. The NX-class was commissioned as an exploratory vessel as a medium for the new warp 5 engine that would form the basis of Humans first reach into the galaxy. NX-01 Enterprise was the first NX-class starship built.

And so T'Lyra had to give Shizuka the condensed Vulcan version of 'The Talk.' We also found out that Naruto's mate has wide tastes in music. The end of this chapter wasn't really meant to be an evil cliffhanger but I ran out of space. See you next time. Blue out. 1/24/18


	27. Chapter 27

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The marathon continues. A lot of folks have been pointing towards this or that episode of different Star Trek series about the whole wormhole plot last chapter but the fact is I got the idea from the old Disney Movie "The Black Hole." I just like the idea of the massive force of nature being faced down by a (comparatively) insignificant ship. Here is chapter 27. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _The main screen showed a tiny ship floating dead in space as the wormhole imploded behind it. There was a blinding flash of light and space returned to normal except for the cruiser sized vessel that had been ejected from the storm. Mei took the command chair and said, "Captain to the Bridge!"_

 _Shizuka said, "Condition yellow; shields up! That vessel may be hostile!"_

 _Mei said, "Magnify the ship on screen. Get me an identification on that hull type. Communications, open hailing frequencies!"_

 _"Commander, I recognize that hull type." said Shizuka. "It's an NX type hull. They were around before the United Federation of Planets was formed."_

 _"NX type…?" asked Commander Beam._

 _"They were the first Terran ships to reach Warp Factor 5. My dad has a model of one back home on Earth." explained the Security Chief._

 _"Identification confirmed." said Naruto. "United Earth Starfleet NX Light Cruiser Class. They were in service during the 2150s. It appears to be powered but is adrift."_

 _"That ship is over one hundred years old…." said Commander Terumi. "Start scanning that antique for life forms…."_

 _…._

Chapter 27

 **Stardate 2273.032, Kappa Triumvirate System**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.032: Commander Mei Terumi reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is observing an ancient ship of the NX class on our long range special sensors. We haven't detected any life forms aboard but at this range that is to be expected. The ship does have power but is adrift as if crippled. The ship also shows some signs of battle damage. We have hailed her repeatedly and have received no reply. The question is whether or not there is anyone aboard and if so whether they are_ _unable_ _or_ _unwilling_ _to reply…._

Captain James came onto the Bridge and took his command chair. "Give me an update Commander Terumi." He looked at the magnified view of the NX Light Cruiser on the screen as Mei explained the situation to him. He muttered, "I leave the Bridge for ten minutes and the whole situation changes."

"I've identified the vessel." said Naruto from Special Sensor station number three. "The hull markings identify the ship as NX-03 _U.S.S. Challenger_ of the United Earth Starfleet. It was lost on March 10, 2156. History records _Challenger_ was destroyed in the Battle of Andoria during the early part of the Earth-Romulan War. Captain Roy Dunsel activated the ship's self-destruct and rammed the Romulan Warbird _Dhivael_ in an effort to prevent it from attacking planet Andor and taking control of the _Challenger_ through telecapture*① technology. All hands were lost."

Naruto paused and added, "An attempted ramming would explain the overlapping warp fields as well as the possibility of a wormhole being generated. The Romulan Warbird _Dhivael_ imploding in the wormhole would account for the explosion over Andor and the assumed loss of both vessels at the time as well as the ion storms all over Andor during the following weeks."

Captain James said, "Ahead warp factor two. Let's see if there are life signs aboard." He turned to Naruto and said, "Cadet, how many crew did the NX type cruiser have?"

"The _Challenger_ was listed as having a complement of 83 Officers and crew when she was lost sir." answered the blonde Vulcan.

"We are picking up life signs Captain James." said Chief Science Officer Beam. "It appears that their life support is at minimum levels with low oxygen levels and low temperatures. The crew is most likely unconscious."

"That would explain why they never answered our hails….as well as a few other things." commented Mei Terumi. ' _Like why they are dead in the water_.' "Are the shields up? We could beam over and restore their life support."

Naruto said, "The _Challenger_ is not equipped with deflector shields. It is equipped with polarized hull plating*② which would offer no resistance to transporters."

"That makes matters easier." replied Mei with a smile.

….

 **Transporter room, _U.S.S. Darwin_**

In the transporter room Mei was discussing things with her party. "Remember we are treating this as a first contact situation." said Commander Terumi to her Away Team. "We may frighten them because of our advanced technology so our goal is to restore their life support and treat their injuries. That's one of the reasons you are here with us Cadet Yamanaka*③. You are our acting counselor so if they start getting panicked give me the heads up." Mei turned to the rest of her team. "Doctor Walker, as soon as we get aboard I want you and your two Cadets to start reviving the crew of the _Challenger_."

Jonathan Walker nodded and said, "I have full confidence in Doctor Wilson and Doctor Hammond. We can take care of it."

"Alright Doctor." said Mei with a smile. "Sassaav, I trust you and Cadets Simmons and Kloene can take care of getting the life support back on line."

The big Andorian nodded and said, "I'm sure we'll have no problems hacking into the _Challenger's_ systems. I'm more concerned about this telecapture program but that's why we have Simmons with us."

Lt. Nadeshiko concealed her type one phaser in her coat. "Hopefully my presence won't be necessary." said Shizuka. "They are on our side after all….even if they don't know it." She checked her portable light and added, "Ready to go."

Commander Terumi nodded to Shizuka and turned to their Transporter Chief. She smiled and said, "Energize."

….

 **Bridge, _U.S.S. Challenger_**

The first thing Commander Terumi's Away Team noticed was it was cold and dim. They were glad they'd worn their jackets and brought the lights. "It's 2 degrees Celsius. The air is thin but breathable." said Shizuka as she read her tricorder. She saw the bridge crew of the Challenger spread out in the floor of the bridge and said, "Looks like they passed out at their posts."

Mei said "It looks like all we've got is emergency lighting as well. Sassaav, take your boys to engineering and bring this ship back online."

Sassaav smirked and said, "Come on ' _boys_.' We have work to do." Looking at his tablet he brought up the ship's plans and they started making their way down towards Engineering….

Mei looked at a man who wore Captain's bars. He was lying on his back in front of the command chair. She looked at her tricorder records and said, "I believe this is Captain Roy Dunsel. Wake him up first."

Doctor Gregory Hammond got out his tricorder and did a quick diagnostic of Captain Dunsel before he pulled out two vials and put them in his hypospray. He quickly injected the contents into the Captain's neck and said, "Tri-ox Compound and a mild stimulant. He should be coming around in about thirty seconds."

Captain Dunsel blinked a few times and saw Mei standing above him. Thinking he was dreaming or dead he blurted out, "Well hello there beautiful."

Mei smiled and said, "Captain Roy Dunsel of the _U.S.S. Challenger_ I presume?" He nodded and she said, "Welcome back to the world of the conscious. I'm Commander Mei Terumi of the _U.S.S. Darwin_. My people are trying to bring your regular life support back online so everyone will wake up and can be treated."

Dunsel suddenly became alert and said, "The Romulans!" he was still dizzy but tried to get up.

Doctor Hammond leaned over him and said, "Stay still Captain, you still have a touch of vertigo. I'm Doctor Hammond. The Romulan ship was destroyed and Andor is safe. Just relax. There is a lot you need to know."

Seeing the slightly panicked look on Dunsel's face Ino said. "Let's get you in your command chair sir. You are going to be disoriented for a bit."

….

 **Engineering**

Cadet Daniel Simmons had his datapad out and was merrily hacking into the _Challenger's_ systems. "I've removed the last of the Romulan telecapture programming Chief Sassaav. It's crude but effective given its vintage. The ship's controls should respond as designed now."

Sassaav went over to a control panel and saw the life support systems were shut down to emergency levels. He threw a few switches and the lighting came on as well as the heat and air circulation systems. "That's better." said the Andorian.

Kloene said, "I just got the impulse engines on line but the warp engines are going to take a little more work. Their dilithium crystals are burnt out. That must have been what caused their warp field to collapse."

Hopefully the _U.S.S. Vestal_ has dilithium on board. We don't have any to spare on the _Darwin_." said Daniel.

One of the _Challenger's_ Engineers woke up with a groan and said groggily, "What the hell is an Andorian doing on my ship?" as he looked at Sassaav.

Sassaav growled and said, "I'm getting your ship back online. We found the _Challenger_ adrift with minimum life support active."

That was when they all started waking up. "What kind of a uniform is that?" asked another Engineering Officer. "An Orion and an Andorian…? You don't belong on the _Challenger!_ " He cracked his knuckles, "This is a security breach!"

Kloene said, "Whoa there big guy, where not here to figh-" That was when the green skinned Cadet got punched in the jaw and hit the deck _hard_. Kloene got back up and said, "Okay….on the other hand; let me introduce you to my fists you bastard!"

Pandemonium ensured as the three Engineers from the _Darwin_ fought hand to hand with the awakening members of the Engineering crew of the _Challenger_ ….

….

 **Bridge**

Mei saw Ino's body language change slightly. "What is wrong Yamanaka?"

Ino's eyes widened as she sensed the slugfest back in engineering. "A fight has broken out aft!"

Dunsel and the Bridge crew of the _Challenger_ had awakened and naturally were a bit disoriented but Captain Dunsel was suspicious, "How do you know that Miss Yamanaka?"

Ino cringed. "I'm a Betazoid; we are empathic. We need to stop the fight before someone is hurt seriously. I promise you I'm telling the truth."

Dunsel said, "I'll order my men to stand down Commander Terumi, you do the same with yours." Dunsel sat in his command chair and flipped the public announcement system on….only to find it was still inactive. "Shit!" he yelled.

Shizuka said, "With your permission Captain Dunsel; **_I'll_** deal with this discipline issue."

Roy Dunsel considered himself a good judge of character and something told him _not_ to mess with this young Vulcan woman. He said, "Permission granted." He turned to his Tactical Officer Lieutenant Rubin and said, "Escort her back to Engineering and get our men to stand down."

….

 **Engineering**

Shizuka stepped into Engineering and roared, " _All of you stand down NOW!_ _THAT IS AN ORDER FROM CAPTAIN DUNSEL; NOT A REQUEST!_ That's when one of the _Challenger's_ crew said "Shut up bitch! We'll fight if we want to!" He took a swing at Shizuka who caught his punch and promptly backhanded him across the deck.

" _Oh crap!_ " said Sassaav. "Nadeshiko is pissed!"

Kloene and Simmons looked at their normally fearless Chief Engineer and Simmons asked, "Should we be afraid sir?" Sassaav nodded in fear and Kloene and Simmons watched as Shizuka started batting men twice her size around like flies.

 _"_ _God damn!"_ whispered Simmons as he watched a huge man go completely airborne from a brutal mid-kick courtesy of the angry Security Chief.

' _I haven't seen anything like this since Samui and Naruto went at it_.' thought Kloene as Shizuka sent another hapless man flying. ' _At least she kicked that guy that punched me in the face earlier_.'

Shizuka soon finished knocking out the last troublemaker and she pointed to the three men from the _Darwin_. "Do you three need some _discipline_ too?" she asked in a hostile tone.

" _NO MA'AM!_ " squeaked the three (already battered) men as one.

Shizuka reeled in her temper and Lieutenant Rubin was gaping in awe. He wasn't sure if he was love-struck or terror-struck with the black haired Vulcan beauty. Shizuka straightened up her uniform and flipped open her communicator. "Lieutenant Nadeshiko to Commander Terumi. The situation has been dealt with."

Mei's voice was filled with mirth and she asked over the communicator, " _I do hope no one died Lieutenant. Do you need medical assistance Shizuka?"_

"No, but they do." said Shizuka. "I have eleven injured, eight are unconscious. They could probably use a checkup."

….

 **Bridge**

Ino was on the Bridge cringing at the sheer amount of rage that Shizuka channeled when fighting. It frightened the young Betazoid. Mei smiled at the Cadet and said, "Shizuka is quite a wrecking machine under that stern and orderly exterior Counselor Yamanaka. I'm sure our good Doctors will have everyone patched up in no time at all."

Captain Dunsel was less than thrilled that a lone Vulcan Security Chief had kicked the asses of his entire engineering staff. On the other hand, she had dealt with the _discipline issue_ as promised. He turned to Mei and said, "Is Lieutenant Nadeshiko always so aggressive? I mean, she's a Vulcan and they don't have emotions…."

Commander Terumi said with her usual smile, "Actually Vulcans do have emotions; they just suppress them. You should see Nadeshiko when she's actually angry. I would sooner jump out an airlock as take her on. Fortunately she's a very loyal and disciplined officer."

….Over the next few hours the crew of the _U.S.S. Challenger_ was brought around and coordinated with the crew of the _Darwin_ that was at station keeping nearby.

….

 **Sick Bay**

"Ouch." said Chief Engineer Collins of the _Challenger_. "I feel like I got hit by a runaway shuttle."

Doctor Walker said, "Feel fortunate that she didn't do more than kick you once. You must be quite a sturdy fellow to just have been knocked out rather than ending up with broken ribs or worse."

Chief Collins said, "I'm a boxer but I don't know what that Vulcan girl is." Walker just chuckled.

Cadets Shelly Wilson and Gregory Hammond had their hands full with other victims of Shizuka's.

The _Challenger's_ Doctor was also busy. His name was Devon Wilson and Shelly kept glancing at him. When she woke him up he mistook her for his wife Connie Wilson (who was, of course, long dead by then). It had been a very awkward for her but Shelly knew exactly who he was….her Great-Great Grandfather who 'died' in the Romulan War. He had no idea of course and had been terribly embarrassed for mistaking a colleague for his sassy wife back on Earth. Shelly couldn't say anything for the moment as the crew of the _U.S.S. Challenger_ was kept in the dark about the time travel until Captain Dunsel was fully informed.

….

 **Captain James' Ready Room, _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Once the crew of the _Challenger_ was all wide awake and all accounted for, Captain Francis James was in his Ready Room with his colleague Captain Roy Dunsel after giving him the grand tour of the _U.S.S. Darwin_. After that the two Captains sat down together over a glass of Andorian Ale. Captain Dunsel said, "The _Darwin_ in a hell of a fine ship Captain James. I can't get over the fact a century has passed since the Romulan War. I really thought that we would defeat them for good but here we are one hundred seventeen years later with them still out there. I'm completely baffled."

James nodded. "You have to realize that my people are astounded as well. You went down as heroes over Andor. I looked up your record and you were posthumously awarded the United Earth Starfleet Medal of Honor. The _U.S.S. Challenger's_ sacrifice helped cement the Andorians to the Coalition of Planets against the Romulans. Only a few years later we became the United Federation of Planets."

"It is unbelievable." said Dunsel. "I have to wonder how my crew is going to take it. Our families, our friends; everything we knew is gone."

The Captain of the _Darwin_ nodded and said, "I can't comprehend what you and your crew will go through emotionally but one thing is certain; you all probably have family out there that remember you. One of our Cadets is the Great-Great Granddaughter of your ship's Doctor Devon Wilson."

Roy gasped, "Then your Doctor Shelly Wilson is-?"

"Yes, the poor girl is about to explode." said Captain James. "Apparently Doctor Devon Wilson was her inspiration to become a Starfleet Doctor herself. She's meeting her hero and is a bit overwhelmed right now."

"I need to tell my crew exactly what's going on." said Dunsel. "As soon as they all are back on their feet I'm going to have to knock them all down again."

"My people will help ease your transition as much as we can." said Captain James. "It will be another day before the _U.S.S. Vestal_ arrives and we can both get underway again. _The U.S.S. Vestal_ reports she has the dilthium you need."

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2273.034. The repair ship_ _U.S.S Vestal_ _replaced our damaged thruster unit as well as restoring the_ _U.S.S. Challenger's_ _warp drive. I do not envy the crew of the_ _Challenger_ _being displaced in time. Losing everything you knew would be a very difficult transition to make for anyone. We have been ordered to escort the_ _Challenger_ _to Starbase 10. They have been officially inducted into the United Federation of Planet's Starfleet although it would be illogical for the_ _Challenger_ _to be anything but a museum ship. However, the officers and crew are experienced spacefarers and with the correct training they will be an asset to Starfleet._

 _My friend Shelly Wilson is spending time with her Grandfather aboard the_ _Challenger_ _. It seems that they have bonded quickly and have similar interests outside the medical field. She has brought a great deal of genealogy for her Grandfather and she explained to me that Doctor Devon Wilson was the first of a long line of Doctors in her family_ ….

 _My mate and I are experiencing problems. It seems T'Lyra has taken matters into her own hands and promised that I would take care of Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko should the latter enter Pon Farr and it become a life threatening situation. While I understand T'Lyra's logic in the matter it somehow hurts me inside. My emotions are not as tightly controlled being a hybrid and right now they are roiling beneath the surface. I cannot decide if I am angry, sad or a bit of both. It is times like these that I wish I was back on Vulcan where I could practice my Kareel-ifla and V'Shan with my Father. Afterwards I always feel focused. Perhaps I should join in the sparring in the ship's gymnasium this afternoon…._

….

 **Gymnasium**

Naruto was sparring with Samui and the pair of blondes was really going at it. They'd been going for fifteen minutes straight and neither of them had given an inch. Samui charged and Naruto went aerial. He flipped over Samui who threw a thunderous punch at him. The Vulcan tried to kick her in the back but Samui spun around and blocked with a forearm. She then hit Naruto with an uppercut in the chin only to find that he used the momentum of her punch against her in the form of a scissor kick which knocked her back. Samui went flying but stayed in the matted area.

The blonde Vulcan charged after her in a Kareel-ifla stance and she barely avoided his offensive hit. Samui raced in to strike with a four punch combo that looked like blurs to most of the spectators. She frowned as Naruto deftly blocked and countered with an open palm that hit her solar plexus and knocked the wind out of her. Samui went to get back up but was coughing. She said, "This (cough) match is yours (cough) Naruto." He helped her up and the tired pair left the sparring ring looking a bit rough and drained amidst a great deal of clapping and cheering.

Doctor Greg Hammond shook his head at the pair and said, "You two just can't help yourselves can you?" He pulled out his medical scanner and looked them both over. Greg said to Samui, "I'll fix you up in sick bay after the other spars Samui. You just have bumps and bruises."

He turned to Naruto and said, "I'm checking you over later as well but by the time the spars are done you'll be healed anyway so just sit and relax."

Samui turned to Naruto and said, "Your focus is off today. You may have won but…."

Naruto's blue eyes crackled with chakra and he said, "I am experiencing some turmoil in my life right now. It will pass given time." ' _She is very perceptive_.'

The Augment girl nodded and said, "If you need any help just ask."

….

 _Personal Log of Doctor Shelly Wilson, Stardate 2273.036._ _We've made a mistake_ _. Though we inoculated the crew of the_ _U.S.S. Challenger_ _against modern diseases we did not do the same for the crew of the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _and much of the crew is down with an extinct form of influenza that was still common in the 22_ _nd_ _Century. Needless to say we have quickly formulated an inoculation for it but two thirds of the crew is very sick and other than keeping people hydrated there isn't much we can do. I have been very fortunate that I do not have the disease and currently I am acting chief medical officer._

 _Doctor Walker said there is a silver lining though. While the_ _Darwin_ _is more or less quarantined the fact we have this disease means Starbase 10 and other areas of the Federation can inoculate themselves in advance so they will not suffer as we have. I've already contacted the ship's Doctor on_ _U.S.S. Vestal_ _and their crew is being inoculated as well. Still, it is hard as a member of the medical staff to not feel responsible for this mess. I have learned a valuable lesson about quarantine procedures the hard way_ ….

 _On the positive side I have been able to spend time with my Grandfather Devon Wilson. It amazes me what he is able to accomplish with such primitive medical equipment. Even more intriguing is the fact that he also specializes in Neurosurgery as I do. The two of us work well together and I am very proud to be his grandchild. He naturally is distraught over the loss of family but is thrilled that so many of the family followed his footsteps into the medical field and into space. His youngest son, my Great Uncle Phillip is still alive and I hope to be there when the two are reunited. It should be a joyous occasion…._

 _…._

 **Bridge, _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Security Chief Shizuka Nadeshiko was sitting in the Command chair on the bridge. Being of Vulcan descent she was immune to the odd influenza that infected the human members of the crew. ' _Almost everyone is sick and we are running on a skeleton crew_.' she thought morosely. ' _I've been through much worse though. At least no one's life is in danger_.'

Rafi was at the helm again and Samui was at the navigator's station on the bridge. Her Augment immune system meant she hadn't been sick a day of her life. Naruto was at the sciences station and seemed very listless. Shizuka thought he was sick as well but he claimed that he was not and could fulfill his duties. Everyone seemed to have a black cloud hovering above their heads.

Naruto sat at his station thinking about T'Lyra. He was upset with her but Kaguya had come to him in his dreams last night and had some very interesting things to say….

 _Flashback…._

 _Naruto was sitting on the steps leading up to the dais in the stone tower his 'Grandmother' Kaguya lived in. Kaguya came down the stairs and sat beside Naruto. "I was not expecting a visit from you Naruto. Your power is growing to have reached out to me in your dreams like this. Well done." She looked into his sad blue eyes and said, "You are troubled my Grandson. Tell me what is wrong."_

 _The blonde sighed. "Perhaps it would be good to discuss this matter with someone." He paused a moment and said, "My mate volunteered me to mate with another female should the situation become dire. I feel as if our intimacy doesn't mean as much to her as it does to me. I do not know what to do."_

 _Kagaya looked puzzled and said, "It is in our best interests for you to have multiple wives to repopulate the Shinobi. I fail to see how this is a problem. Is this other woman weak or something?"_

 _"Actually she's quite strong." said Naruto. "If she followed the precepts of logic she would make a fine wife."_

 _The horned woman chuckled. "Logic is something I fail to understand but it will give our newest generation an edge. You need strong wives to bear your children Naruto….Don't tell me that in Vulcan society it is forbidden to have a harem."_

 _Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "Harems aren't forbidden and some religious sects practiced it regularly up until the time of enlightenment….they are just considered rare and unconventional these days. It just baffles me that T'Lyra is willing to share no matter how logical her reasoning."_

 _"Have you spoken to her about it?" asked Kaguya._

 _The blonde Vulcan shook his head. "We have not discussed it at length. I find the subject most uncomfortable to bring up."_

 _Kaguya chuckled, "In other words your emotions are interfering with your logic. Remember that the Shinobi were a very passionate warrior race and you have that within you."_

 _"Unfortunately that is also true of the Vulcan race." said Naruto. "We were a savage warrior race that was ruled by our emotions. It nearly destroyed us as it did the Shinobi. We were fortunate to become enlightened and embraced the ways of logic."_

 _"Well, regardless you need to discuss this matter with your mate my Grandson." said Kaguya sagely._

 _"I will do that Grandmother. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me…."_

 _Flashback end_ ….

….

Naruto thought, ' _A harem….It is a difficult concept to embrace_.'

….

 **Bridge, _U.S.S. Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.037: Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is cruising at Warp Factor Two towards Starbase 10. With no way to go back the crew of the_ _NX-03 U.S.S. Challenger_ _has bravely decided to push forward. We are three days from Starbase 10 and as I understand it many dignitaries will be there to roll out the red carpet. The crew of the_ _Darwin_ _is starting to return to duty much to my personal relief. The cadets have done an outstanding job in the absence of their superiors and what they lack in experience they've made up for in enthusiasm and sheer skill. In particular Cadet Rafi's skill at the helm is far above and beyond what could ever be expected of a new Cadet…._

 _…._

 **Shizuka Nadeshiko's Quarters**

Shizuka was in her quarters relaxing after a double shift. She had just finished her shower and was sitting back with some Saurian Brandy when a transmission came in specifically for her. She saw it wasn't from Starfleet. At first she was concerned there was a family emergency on Earth but as it turned out the message was from Planet Vulcan. It required a retina scan which shocked her a bit but soon it the file downloaded and Shizuka Nadeshiko was able to view it in Golic Vulcan or Standard:

….

To: Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko of the United Federation of Planets' Starfleet

From: The Vulcan Center for Citizen's Affairs

Re: Results of DNA Testing

*The following data was discovered from the DNA of the displaced Vulcan Citizen Shizuka Nadeshiko:

Actual name: _S'lara-yon T'olara'es_

Father's Name: _Heya-vik T'olara'es_ (Confirmed deceased)

Mother's Name: _Shen a'Tha T'olara'es_ (Confirmed deceased)

Closest living relatives: _Ha nauk_ _T'olara'es_ (Aunt), _Fal+tor T'olara'es_ (Uncle), _T'sai lirpa T'olara'es_ (Cousin)

*Reason for displacement: Citizen _S'lara-yon T'olara'es_ was displaced because her records of birth from Starfleet were never forwarded to the Vulcan Government. She was assumed to have died with her parents before birth. This information has been corrected and all rights as a Vulcan Citizen are hereby extended to _S'lara-yon T'olara'es._

*All data is considered private to the receiver of this information. If the receiver wishes for the Vulcan Center for Citizen's Affairs to arrange a meeting between _S'lara-yon T'olara'es_ and the _T'olara'es_ Clan then please contact at the return address at the end of this message….

….

Shizuka wasn't sure whether to be excited or face palm. "I can't even pronounce my own name!" she fretted. "On the other hand I _do_ have living relatives. I at least have a cousin, Aunt and Uncle." I wonder if T'Lyra would be willing to tell me how to translate my name….Making a decision, Shizuka decided to call T'Lyra after checking the younger woman's duty schedule. ' _It looks like she just got off duty like I did an hour ago. I'll call her and see if she's available_.' After receiving a voice mail message Shizuka decided to contact her friend the next day….

….

 **Naruto's Quarters**

Naruto and T'Lyra were embracing one another gently as they sat together on his bed. "I am sorry I caused you pain." whispered T'Lyra.

The blonde crossed his fingers with her affectionately and said, "I know it was not intentional. I just was taken off guard." He leaned down and kissed her softly and she reciprocated with a great amount of fervor. When she opened her eyes she saw the chakra crackling in his that showed just how excited he was as well.

Her dark brown eyes were full of passion and she said, "I want you my love…." She gently pushed him down where she was lying on top of him. He started untucking her tee shirt as she did the same with him. It was agonizing slow for both of them. Naruto soon had her topless in the sitting position and was worshipping her breasts with his lips and tongue. He loved her taste. T'Lyra leaned her head back and moaned as Naruto slowly trailed kisses up and down her neck and deftly slid his hands inside her panties to pleasure her. Naruto couldn't get enough the soft, magical sounds she made as he made love to his mate….

….

T'Lyra's long hair had completely come out of its long braid as Naruto pinned her to the bed. She was lost in a haze and absentmindedly wondered how she ended up underneath. T'Lyra wrapped her legs around his waist after he finished undressing her. She let out a silent scream and bit his shoulder as he entered her roughly. T'Lyra felt her pulse pounding wildly as she tasted her mate's coppery blood on her lips. Naruto hissed as she telepathically whispered, ' _Harder_ …."

The blonde was totally lost in a miasma of passion as his lover urged him on. It wasn't playtime anymore. He intended to drive T'Lyra into one climax after another all night long….and she was determined to do the same with him. He really didn't care when she got back on top of him. They eventually rolled off the small bunk and into the floor where there was more room. Naruto maneuvered her into his lap and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. The blonde's eyes widened as T'Lyra climaxed with everything she had. Being telepathically linked it was too much for the blonde and he went completely over the edge as well….

….

Naruto didn't recall much after that. The pair was so busy pleasuring one another that they completely lost track of time. Naruto and T'Lyra eventually laid back down in his bed and softly kissed one another until sleep finally took them….

...Naruto awoke to the sound of his alarm blaring and the ship's morning bell that 'rang' over the public announcement. He felt T'Lyra's amazing curves curled up around him as she too was jolted into consciousness. Her warm brown eyes were wide open as she looked into Naruto's blue ones. They both wanted to go another round when Naruto heard his alarm was still beeping loudly in his ear. He kissed T'Lyra with all the passion he could muster and said, "We need to get up T'Lyra."

She smiled in the low light of the alarm clock and returned his kiss before she said, "Lights." and the room lit up for the morning. The pair looked around and saw Naruto's quarters were a bit of a mess from all their lovemaking the night before.

There was a knock from the door to the shower and M'rella said through the door, "You should both hurry up Naruto; you don't want to be late for your shifts."

Naruto and T'Lyra both blushed green in embarrassment realizing M'rella must have heard them both last night….

….

 **Officer's Mess**

Naruto was quietly eating a Terran vegetarian dish as M'rella chortled at his expense. She was immensely enjoying the embarrassment that Naruto couldn't wipe off his face. T'Lyra had been no better as she took off towards her quarters to change into a fresh uniform. Naruto ended up making two shadow clones to clean up his quarters after the mess he and T'Lyra made.

M'rella said smiling, "You and T'Lyra are so cute when you are embarrassed. You should really set your alarm earlier if you are going to be up that late."

The blonde Vulcan just mentally cringed and said, "I apologize for disturbing your sleep."

The Caitian beauty just continued to giggle to herself. "You didn't. I got up to get a drink in the bathroom when I heard the two of you were busy. The scent of pheromones was rather intoxicating as well."

Rafi came over and sat down with her friends. The excitable Trill girl said, "So what's this about pheromones anyway?"

M'rella said smoothly, "I was just explaining to Naruto that the Caitian nose can scent pheromones quite well."

"Interesting." said Samui as she joined them as well. "You look much better this morning Naruto. I take it you are back on top of your game?"

M'rella managed to keep her giggles under control as Naruto blushed green….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① First developed in 2155, the telecapture system allowed the Romulans to remotely take over the systems of an enemy starship. Once used, the technology began to slowly take over the enemy ship's systems with propulsion, weapons and communications targeted first. Eventually, the telecapture system allowed control over the life support allowing the Romulans to deactivate the environmental systems of the ship leaving the crew unconscious.

*② Polarized hull plating was an early form of protective armor used by 22nd century Earth Starfleet vessels. This type of armor was a precursor to the energy shielding used by Federation ships in the 23rd century and operated by strengthening the molecular bond of the hull plates. Hull polarization was the most common form of shielding used by Earth Starfleet until after the Earth-Romulan War.

*③ Yep, Ino Yamanaka is aboard as acting ship's Counselor for the _Darwin_. She's considered part of the medical team.

The original idea for this chapter was everyone on the _U.S.S. Challenger_ was going to be dead under mysterious circumstances but after what happened to the _Darwin_ (and Shizuka) in the past I figured another ' _death ship'_ was too much. (Not to mention the knockdown drag out in Engineering was just plain fun. They were always throwing punches in TOS). See you next time. Blue out. 1/27/18


	28. Chapter 28

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

We're starting to wind down this marathon. I probably will switch gears to another story in February. Here is chapter 28. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Officer's Mess_**

 _Naruto was quietly eating a Terran vegetarian dish as M'rella chortled at his expense. She was immensely enjoying the embarrassment that Naruto couldn't wipe off his face. T'Lyra had been no better as she took off towards her quarters to change into a fresh uniform. Naruto ended up making two shadow clones to clean up his quarters after the mess he and T'Lyra made._

 _M'rella said smiling, "You and T'Lyra are so cute when you are embarrassed. You should really set your alarm earlier if you are going to be up that late."_

 _The blonde Vulcan just mentally cringed and said, "I apologize for disturbing your sleep."_

 _The Caitian beauty just continued to giggle to herself. "You didn't. I got up to get a drink in the bathroom when I heard the two of you were busy. The scent of pheromones was rather intoxicating as well."_

 _Rafi came over and sat down with her friends. The excitable Trill girl said, "So what's this about pheromones anyway?"_

 _M'rella said smoothly, "I was just explaining to Naruto that the Caitian nose can scent pheromones quite well."_

 _"Interesting." said Samui as she joined them as well. "You look much better this morning Naruto. I take it you are back on top of your game?"_

 _M'rella managed to keep her giggles under control as Naruto blushed green…._

 _…._

Chapter 28

 **Stardate 2273.038,** ** _U.S.S Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.038: Captain Francis James reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _was on escort duty for the_ _NX-03 U.S.S. Challenger_ _until we were joined by the Destroyer_ _NCC-530 U.S.S. Charlemagne_ _which relieved us. Starfleet Command has ordered us to proceed to the Gamma Hydra System where the Colony on Gamma Hydra IV was wiped out six years ago due to radiation.*① A distress call has been detected there and Starfleet believes that the Survey Freighter_ _S.S. Herodotus_ _may have crashed on the stricken world. We are currently travelling at Warp Factor Eight as time is crucial. If anyone survived the crash they may have already succumbed to the radiation sickness there…._

….

The _U.S.S. Darwin_ streaked into the Gamma Hydra System with her special sensors actively scanning anything near or around Gamma Hydra IV. Chief Science Officer Beam said, "We've located the survey freighter. It appears to be in a decaying orbit around Gamma Hydra IV. I'm also detecting another ship on the opposite side of the planet and….It just vanished from the sensors!

Shizuka said, "It could be a cloaked ship sir. This could be a trap."

Captain James nodded and said, "Yellow alert. Drop us to warp two Mister Abraham. Chief Nadeshiko; begin charging weapons. Shields up." James got on the overhead. "This is the Captain speaking. This is not a drill. We may be entering combat soon and I want each and every one of you on standby. That is all." _'I shouldn't have to say any of that but I have a shipload of Cadets_.'

Crewmembers all over the ship started filling in their positions for yellow alert and the remainder were on standby for red alert. The tension levels on the ship were higher than most of the Cadets ever experienced….they were afraid.

As the _U.S.S. Darwin_ plodded along towards the _S.S. Herodotus_ , two Romulan frigates were observing from under cloak….

….

 **Bridge,** ** _RIS Scimitar_**

Subcommander Kurenai was in a quandary. The _RIS Scimitar_ and a smaller Snipe Class Frigate*② _RIS Corvus_ had the task of laying a trap for the Federation Destroyer _U.S.S. Charlemagne_ which had been prowling the edge of the Neutral Zone recently. The Romulan Star Empire didn't take such things lightly and wanted the offending ship crushed….no survivors.

"….And now that we've carefully laid our trap a Federation Heavy Cruiser class vessel shows up." she growled. "Centurion Vandus; front and center."

Her First Officer stood before her and saluted. "How may I be of Service Subcommander?"

"Vandus, what is your honest opinion of Centurion Alidar who Commands the _Corvus?_ " asked Kurenai.

The bridge doors opened about that time and Tal Shiar Major Anko stepped onto the bridge. "Ooooh, I'd be interested in knowing that too."

Kurenai spun her chair around to face her friend Anko. "What are you doing on my bridge Anko? I thought you had no interest in this operation."

Anko smiled evilly and said, "I just wanted to see a Federation Destroyer go up in a fireball." She looked at the screen and saw the _U.S.S. Darwin_ carefully heading their way. "Oh, that changes matters completely."

The red eyed Subcommander said, "My thoughts precisely, Major." She turned back to Vandus and said, "You were saying Vandus? You've dealt with Centurion Alidar before, I haven't."

Centurion Vandus sighed and said, "The only reason that Centurion Alidar hasn't been stripped of his command is his political connections. He is impulsive and a glory seeker who does not think before he acts. I don't trust him at all as a leader."

Anko smiled with mischief in her eyes and said, "That sounds like a death sentence for his crew."

Vandus just nodded and Kurenai motioned him back to his post. She said, "Unless that cruiser runs afoul of the mines we planted around the survey freighter then there is little chance for us to victor here…."

….

 **Bridge,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Naruto was at the Special Sensor Station three which was his assigned post. He and the others at the special sensor stations were ordered to ' _look for anything even remotely suspicious_ ' by Captain James. All he saw was a demolished freighter that had plasma torpedo damage as well as mine damage. Commander Terumi was nearby and Naruto said to her, "There are traces of plasma torpedo damage indicating Romulan or possible pirate attack. The _Herodotus_ also has nuclear space mine damage judging by the caved in hull. It would be prudent to scan for other mines."

Mei said, "Make it so Cadet. Captain, we've detected evidence of mine damage on the freighter in addition to plasma torpedo damage."

Captain James said, "All stop Mister Abraham. It looks like we need to go minesweeping _and_ hunting a cloaked ship."

The Darwin started scanning for nuclear space mines and soon located two of them. "We achieved lock on to one mine sir." said Commander Beam. "Shall we destroy it?"

"Fire two phaser 3 defense phasers and eliminate it." said Captain James. Two blue phaser beams shot out from under the secondary hull of the _Darwin_ and the first mine ceased to exist.

….

 **Bridge,** ** _RIS Scimitar_**

"It's a Galactic Survey Cruiser, not a Heavy Cruiser." said Anko. "With their special sensors they'll pick us up faster than a regular Heavy Cruiser. They may know we are here already."

Kurenai frowned and said, "We have nothing to gain here. Signal the _Corvus_ we are withdrawing."

"Transmitted Subcommander." said her communications tech. "….Centurion Alidar wishes to speak with you Subcommander Kurenai."

Kurenai sighed and said, "Put him on screen."

Centurion Alidar's boyish face appeared on screen. "Subcommander Kurenai, I demand to know why we are withdrawing! That cruiser is nothing but a huge target waiting to be destroyed!"

"It's also at red alert and ready for us." said the beautiful red eyed Subcommander. "You may want to commit suicide but I don't. The pair of us was sent to take on a _Destroyer_ , not a _Galactic Survey Cruiser_. We are withdrawing Centurion. That is an **_order_** from your superior officer."

"We can bluff them." said Alidar. "All we have to do is-"

Kurenai growled, "All we have to do is choose our battles wisely. That is how we survive."

"You are a coward! They just destroyed a second mine!" roared Alidar. "Follow my lead!" Alidar cut the transmission and the _RIS Corvus_ streaked around the planet to hit the stationary _U.S.S. Darwin_ from behind….

….

 **Bridge,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

"A cloaked vessel is approaching fast sir! It's hugging the planet and leaving ion trails!"

Captain James looked at his tactical screen and said, "ECM*③ to maximum. Dedicate Special Sensor One to it as well. Bring us around 170 degrees to port and stand by to fire."

The _Corvus_ started coming out from under cloak on the viewscreen and Communications Officer Edwards said, "We have an incoming transmission from the Romulan vessel."

"Put them on screen." said Captain James.

Centurion Alidar appeared on screen and said, "Federation vessel, this is the _Romulan Imperial Starship Corvus._ We demand your immediate surrender or we will destroy the freighter."

Captain James calmly said, "I understand _Corvus_ , you are in violation of the Treaty of the Neutral Zone. Request denied. Fire photon Torpedoes, full overload." Alidar's face turned to one of horror as the communications were cut off. _RIS Corvus_ never had a chance to fire when her forward shield was completely destroyed and the tiny frigate was sent reeling with her main weapons demolished. James shook his head and said, "Fire both port phaser 1's and finish them off."

A second later the _Corvus_ ceased to exist in a ball of fire. Captain James said, "The damn fool got arrogant. Cycle all weapons. Now where are his squadron mates?"

….

 **Bridge,** ** _RIS Scimitar_**

Kurenai swore in Romulan and unknowingly mirrored her counterpart. "The damn fool got arrogant." She watched as the undamaged _Darwin_ pivoted back towards the _Scimitar_. For a moment she feared the Galactic Survey Cruiser had spotted them but then she realized he was targeting where the _RIS Corvus_ had first been spotted. ' _Whoever this Federation Captain is good…and very experienced. If we were a normal squadron of three Snipes then the other two would be right where he's aimin_ g.' "Helm, get us out of here. Alidar was a fool and his crew paid for it with their lives." ' _Even in a successful pincer between the two of us wouldn't have destroyed that ship and one or both of us would have ended up destroyed_.'

….

 **Bridge,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

"The other cloaked ship is leaving at warp factor six sir." said Security Chief Nadeshiko. "A flawless victory."

Captain James sighed and said, "More like a waste of life Shizuka. Sensor station one make sure to keep an eye on that cloaked vessel until they disengage. Let's return to clearing the mines and scanning that survey freighter for life signs."

….

 _Ship's Log, Supplemental: Captain Francis James reporting. After hours of searching we can only come to one conclusion; there are no survivors from the_ _S.S. Herodotus_ _. The ship's log showed they were hit by a plasma torpedo and then stumbled upon a mine eight days ago. Afterwards they abandoned ship. The crew never had a chance to send a distress call; that was the Romulan's doing. There were two Romulan frigates; a brand new K5R and an old Snipe-A type. We scanned the surface where the few survivors of the_ _S.S. Herodotus_ _beamed down and there were no signs of life. They succumbed to radiation long before we even arrived….I think it's safe to say this empty victory has been very sobering for the Cadets. Sadly, the good guys don't always win…._

….

 **Officer's Mess**

Rafi and her fellow _Think Tank_ Cadets were eating together quietly. Naruto and Shar had been on the bridge during the battle and M'rella, Samui and Rafi had been in the Auxiliary Control room watching at the same time. "Captain James was smooth as glass." said Shar. "I don't think he batted an eyelash during the entire engagement."

Samui said sadly, "I really hoped we could rescue the crew of the _Herodotus_. It seems they died just because the Romulans wanted to lay a trap."

Naruto rubbed his chin. "I wonder if they even laid a trap for us in particular. From the logs we got from the _Herodotus_ all they had was a K5R and a Snipe. They might have been hoping for a destroyer or a light cruiser. They simply didn't have the power to take on the _Darwin_."

"Maybe they were hoping for the mines to cripple us so they could sweep in and finish the job." said Rafi.

"That would be a big gamble." said M'rella. "I have to wonder what possessed the Captain of that Snipe to attack us so suicidally."

"I wouldn't rule out the Snipe's Captain was a complete idiot." said Jackie Nodaway as she sat down to join them. "Obviously Captain James had it all under control. How are you guys doing? It seems like we've been on opposite shifts."

Rafi said, "This is the first time I've seen you since we came aboard a month ago Jackie. What shift are you on?"

"Otome and I are on third shift." answered Jackie. "What about you guys?"

Shar said, "They are all on first shift but I'm on second so we don't get to interact as much as we would like to."

Jackie smirked, "Rumor has it you saved the ship when we got too close to that wormhole Rafi."

Rafi blushed slightly and said, "I lucked out."

"Not according to Commander Terumi." said Otome as she sat on Jackie's opposite side. "She said that you did the impossible to get us out of that mess. I bet you'll be commended for going above and beyond."

"Stranger things have happened." said Samui as she patted Rafi on the back.

….

 **Shizuka Nadeshiko's Quarters**

Later that day Shizuka invited T'Lyra over to her quarters to see if the younger Vulcan woman could help her pronounce her Vulcan name. "….And this is the information I received from the Vulcan Center for Citizen's Affairs about my family T'Lyra. The problem is I don't know how to pronounce any of it! Can you help me?"

T'Lyra raised an eyebrow and Shizuka couldn't tell whether the beautiful brunette was amused or dumbfounded. T'Lyra said, "Let us see your name then and I will tell you how to pronounce it." She read aloud; "Actual name: _S'lara-yon T'olara'es._ This is pronounced S'laron Tolaris." T'Lyra seemed pleased. "It seems we are related because we are both descended of the Honorable Blue Dynasty of ShiKhar."

"How do you say it again?" asked Shizuka.

"Your given name is pronounced S'loran." said T'Lyra. "Your name means ' _from the fire-bird_.' It is a very poetic name."

The green eyed girl said, "Essloran?"

"S'Loran." repeated T'Lyra. "You are pronouncing the first s sound wrong."

Shizuka messed with her tongue a bit and said, "Ss'loran, Sloran, S'Loran! S'Loran. It kind of rolls odd off of my tongue."

"That is because it's Golic Vulcan." explained T'Lyra. Your last name is Tolaris which means ' _of the honorable blue'_ which refers to our Clan's house color.

The Security Chief asked, "So how big is this Toleri-blah Clan?" _'I'll work on my last name later_.'

T'Lyra said, "Tolaris; there are literally thousands of us. We come from a very populous clan. Let's look at your other relatives." Your Father's name was _Heya-vik T'olara'es._ In standard you would pronounce it Ivek Tolaris. Your Mother's name was _Shen a'Tha T'olara'es_ or Shath Tolaris. Those names sound vaguely familiar…."

"What about my Aunt, Uncle and cousin?" asked Shizuka excitedly.

"Hmmm….Your closest living relatives are your Aunt _Ha nauk_ _T'olara'es_ (Anuak Tolaris) _and Uncle Fal+tor T'olara'es_ (Falor Tolaris)…." T'Lyra's eyes widened and she said "….Who are my parents…."

Now it was Shizuka's turn for her eyes to widen. "Your parents are my Aunt and Uncle?! That means we are first cousins T'Lyra!"

T'Lyra nodded and said, "Cousin: _T'sai lirpa T'olara'es_ (T'Lyra Tolaris)."

"That's a mouthful T'Lyra." said Shizuka happily. "How do you say your given name again?"

The brunette couldn't hide her amazement at the situation. "To think we've been first cousins all this time and didn't know it….My name is pronounced _T'sai lirpa_ which means ' _lady of the lirpa._ ' A lirpa is a traditional Vulcan weapon."

"This is amazing T'Lyra!" said Shizuka. "I have my original name and a younger cousin!"

….

 **Naruto's Quarters**

T'Lyra was explaining the situation with Shizuka to her mate Naruto that evening as they ate dinner together in his quarters. '….And it turns out that Shizuka's actual birth name is S'Loran Tolaris and that she is my first cousin. Her biological parents died in Starfleet Service six years before we were born."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That would explain why you physically resemble each other so strongly."

"I never noticed before but her build and facial structure are similar to mine." agreed T'Lyra. "We need to teach her emotional control to some degree. I could tell from our mind meld that Shizuka has a great deal of rage just below the surface. It seems that she channels it through her martial arts. That's why she is in security."

"Lieutenant Nadeshiko wasn't raised with logic as we were." said the blonde. "There is also the possibility she doesn't wish to suppress her emotions. All of her formative years were spent with emotional humans after all."

"It is a difficult situation." said T'Lyra. "Shizuka says she's never been to Vulcan. It might open her mind to logic seeing the world of her ancestors."

Naruto frowned slightly and said, "I believe a Vulcan psychologist might be able to give us some answers. Lieutenant Nadeshiko isn't an emotionalist in the traditional sense of the word. She hasn't rejected logic; she simply never had it in her life. Pon Farr aside she may find other issues that Vulcans have long eliminated through suppression of emotions."

"Perhaps asking her if she wishes to learn about logic would be a good first step." pondered T'lyra. "It would be wrong to force logic upon her."

The blonde replied, "I doubt any sort of behavior could be forced upon her. From my interactions with her I would say she is very regimented and unlikely to change easily."

"Perhaps I should talk to my friend Ino Yamanaka." said the beautiful brunette. "She would have insights into emotionalism that you and I do not."

"I've meant to visit Ino for some time given we were acquainted as children." said Naruto. "It seems that every time I think to visit her she is unavailable."

"Ino is very busy being the acting ship's Counselor you know." said T'Lyra with a tiny bit of mirth in her tone. "I'm sure you two will have some time to meet up eventually. She has indicated that she wishes to see you after all these years as well."

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2273.042. Our Cadet Cruise has been very eventful so far. We have only been out for six weeks but it seems to have been much longer. We are now en route to the Theta Gamma Star System to visit the Federation Colony on Theta VII*④ which is noted for its agriculture and mining. The Colony has a population of nearly 300,000 and often is a stopover for Federation trading vessels. The_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _has been called there for a twofold purpose; the main purpose is scientific; there have been claims of Pergium*⑤ deposits which the colonists who have requested us to verify with the_ _Darwin's_ _special sensors as it could potentially make them very wealthy. Pergium is typically used in_ _energy_ _production and_ _life support_ _systems by thousands of_ _planets_ _, making it a very valuable commodity._

 _The other purpose of the_ _Darwin_ _is political. The presence of a Federation warship in the area will keep most illegal starships from harassing the regular shipping with the belief that Pergium is already being mined and smuggled out of the colony. There is no hard evidence at this point that Pergium deposits even exist on the planet so such illegal activities seem highly illogical to me. However, to quote one of my Vulcan Science Academy instructors, 'Logic and greed are rarely compatible.'_

….

 **Bridge, U.S.S. Darwin**

The _U.S.S. Darwin_ entered the Gamma Theta System and as expected there was a great deal of space traffic from the largest ore freighters to the smallest light freighters carrying passengers. There was a large commercial platform in geosynchronous orbit above the colony that directed the space traffic there and doubled as an orbital trade station of sorts. "It's been a few years since I've been here." said Mei happily. "Perhaps we'll end up with a bit of time for some shore leave."

Captain James smirked at his First Officer's not so subtle hint and said, "So you've visited the shore facilities her before Commander Terumi?"

"The beaches are lovely." said Mei. "It's not Risa's Planet*⑥ but what is?"

Lieutenant Thomas Abraham was envisioning Mei in a bikini while he was at the helm. ' _Oh yeah…._ ' he thought.

Navigator Lieutenant Karatek looked over at him and said in her usual flat Vulcan tone, "You are drooling Lieutenant Abraham. Show some decorum while on duty."

Abraham realized he actually _was_ drooling and quickly wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve much to Karetek's disgust.

Shizuka was up at her usual post manning the Security Station. She didn't note any unusual activity in the shipping. "Captain, I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary for a civilian port. The Federation Police Cutter _U.S.S. Gatekeeper_ is here but our records show she is on routine rotation."

Captain James nodded and said, "Good to hear Lieutenant Nadeshiko. I was concerned there might already be a fox in the henhouse." He turned to Karina Edwards at Communications and said, "Hail the Commercial Platform first and request permission to enter orbit."

….

Within hours the _Darwin_ was scanning the surface of Theta VII looking for traces of Pergium in the planet's crust. Shar was at Special Sensor Station Two talking with Chief Science Officer Jamie Beam. "I'm surprised their own equipment can't detect Pergium deposits Commander Beam." said Shar.

"Their surface equipment can but what takes them weeks we can do in hours from orbit Cadet." explained the Science Officer. "Besides, as a Galactic Survey Cruiser this is exactly the sort of work we often do. When I was stationed aboard the _Darwin's_ sistership _U.S.S. Byrd_ I scanned so many lifeless rocks for mining purposes that I wondered if I'd ever see a Class M world again."

"You don't paint a very pretty picture Commander." replied Shar morosely.

Beam laughed. "Looking at all those dead rocks means when you do find a world that supports life it's something truly worth remembering."

….

 **Theta VII, Surface**

Naruto was with a survey team down on the surface of Theta VII under Shizuka Nadeshiko's Command along with Samui, Rafi and M'rella. It was more to get valuable practice with away team procedures than search for Pergium (not one of them was a geologist). At any rate their job was to set up a deep surface scanner via transporter once they were at the right location. They had a guide who was a miner and surveyor who went by the name of Clearwater leading them. Rafi was doing most of the talking with Clearwater. "I've been in the mining business since long before you were born girl." said Clearwater. "If I can't find Pergium out here then your fancy high tech scanner won't either."

Rafi chuckled. "There's no proof that Pergium is anywhere on this world but it never hurts to check. Why in the hell was this area strip mined anyway? The environment is badly damaged."

Clearwater raised a grayed eyebrow. "This area was strip mined before the Theta VII Colony really got started. It wasn't until some profits were coming in before they stopped up here and started mining in environmentally friendly ways. You don't know much about mining do you?" he snarked.

"Sorry old man but I'd rather sail the stars than dig holes in the ground." Rafi shot back.

"Hahah! I like you girl." said Clearwater.

As the group travelled Naruto looked in the distance and saw strip mining equipment that was cocooned over for preservation and later use. Beyond that it looked like unspoiled wilderness.

To Samui the area reminded her of a caldera she'd visited with her parents when she moved to Earth. It left a big impression on her as a child.

M'rella was more interested in her tricorder. Seeing the environment demolished like this made her long for the untouched rain forests of her homeworld Ciat. M'rella said, "Hmmmm." in her usual purr. "The ground ahead of us is unstable. I doubt it will support the weight of a deep surface scanner."

Clearwater asked, "How much does this gizmo weigh?"

"It weighs 525 kilograms." said Naruto. The base of it is 1.5 meters square so the scanner is dense despite its compactness. It's height is-"

"I asked how much it weighed, not for the damned owner's manual!" grouched Clearwater. "You Vulcans…." he muttered.

Shizuka was a bit incensed but Naruto seemed to simply ignore the old miner's ramblings.

The group slowly went up an incline that led to a nearby cliff edge. Clearwater got out his survey equipment which was mounted on a spike with old fashioned tripod legs. He drove the spike about a half meter into the loose soil and extended the legs of the tripod. Tapping the side of the instrument he looked through the visor and said. "We still have a few hundred meters to go. Can you kids handle it?"

Shizuka growled, "We are fine. Lead on."

Clearwater was going to say something obnoxious but the fierce burning in Shizuka's green eyes to him to shut up _now_.

Samui smirked to herself and thought, ' _I guess I'm not the only one that finds this old man annoying_.'

Clearwater led the along and stopped a few times along the way to take distance readings. Finally he said, "Here we are. The soil is mighty thin here. If Pergium is in this area it's below the bedrock. He drove the mount for his survey gear in the ground again and the surface started to crack. Clearwater said in an unsteady voice, "That's not good."

Then the earth gave way.

Shizuka grabbed Clearwater and threw him back away from the landslide before it took her down along with Clearwater's equipment. Naruto felt the ground shifting rapidly and pushed M'rella back to safety. Rafi went over the edge and barely missed the saving hand of Samui who tried to catch her friend. Half the party was lost in the landslide….

Clearwater was breathing heavily and he saw M'rella near him and Samui looking over the cliff edge. "Get away from the cliff edge you stupid girl! Otherwise you'll fall in too!"

….

Shizuka caught herself on the cliff face when he snagged a handhold. She was about ten meters down but saw no way of getting back up. ' _Shit. I'm not going to die now!_ ' she growled mentally.

Rafi tried to catch herself but bounced off the surface and fell onto a small ledge that knocked her unconscious. The last thing she saw before she passed out was Naruto walking down the sheer cliff face towards her….

….

Naruto thought to himself. ' _First I'll get to Rafi and then I'll carry her up. Then Lieutenant Nadeshiko will also need my help as she is trapped_.' He heard the earth groan from Shizuka's direction and heard the raven haired Vulcan woman cursing up a storm. ' _I guess the secret is going to be out regardless_.' He whispered, "Shadow clone jutsu."

Shizuka felt herself slipping a yelled. " ** _SSSHHHIIIIIITTT!_** " as she fell about a meter before Naruto's shadow clone caught her.

He said, "It seems I arrived at the right time Lieutenant. Hold onto me and I'll carry you up."

The young Vulcan woman's green eyes were as big as saucers and she unconsciously gripped onto the clone tightly. The clone said. "Now that you are secure I will take you up."

"How are you doing this?" whispered Shizuka as she looked down the cliff face in fear. "I-it's impossible!"

The clone simply said, "You'll find I excel at the impossible Lieutenant." He carried her gently up the cliff face as smoothly as he could and the entire group was astonished as Naruto walked up to level ground with Shizuka in his arms.

Samui said, "N-naruto?! Is Rafi-?"

"The real me is getting her." said the clone as he sat Shizuka down gently. "Check Lieutenant Nadeshiko over. Rafi is injured so it's going to take a bit."

Shizuka said, "Naruto I-" and the clone vanished in a puff of smoke.

….

The original Naruto was down with the unconscious Rafi. There really wasn't room to check the Trill girl over and since she was unresponsive Naruto was carrying her up bridal style. 'O _nce I get to the top of the cliff I'm calling the_ _Darwin_ _for an emergency beam up to sick bay_.' He got the memories of his clone and thought, ' _At least everyone else got away with only scuffs and bruises. Lieutenant Nadeshiko seems lively as ever_.'

Naruto gently cradled Rafi once he got her secured. It was a long walk up and Naruto had to be careful because much of the newly exposed cliff face was loose gravel. After what seemed like hours to everyone (it had only been a few minutes) Naruto chakra walked up the over the top edge of the cliff face and onto level ground. Samui rushed over to help Naruto put Rafi down in a safe spot.

M'rella was soon hovering over Rafi with a tricorder and said, "I don't think her life is in danger but she's seriously hurt."

Shizuka hobbled over to where M'rella was checking over Rafi and got out her communicator. She said, "Nadeshiko to _Darwin_ , do you copy?"

" _This is_ _Darwin_ _Nadeshiko, go ahead_." crackled the communicator.

"I have two for emergency beam out to sickbay." said Shizuka. "One is possibly critical, the other slightly injured." The black haired Vulcan woman nodded at M'rella who stepped back so they could beam out.

" _Understood Nadeshiko, stand by for beam out_." replied the _Darwin_.

The last thing Shizuka said before she beamed out was, "Thank you Naruto. I'm leaving you in charge." With that the green eyed beauty and Rafi vanished in a transporter beam.

Samui and M'rella watched as Naruto walked over. "You have a lot of explaining to do Mister." said M'rella with a slight frown. "All those times I saw more than one of you were real!"

"We'll talk about it when we get back to the ship." said Naruto. "My abilities are a secret I would have preferred to keep quiet but the situation necessitated their use. I did not wish to deceive you M'rella."

The beautiful Caitian girl hugged him tightly and said, "As long as you are okay."

Samui said, "You know Lieutenant Nadeshiko is going to blow the lid off of your little secret Naruto. How did you do that anyway?"

Naruto had a ghost of a smile on his face and said, "I am a hybrid you know. We'll talk about it after I'm disciplined by the Captain."

"That's not going to be fun." replied Samui.

The blonde Vulcan nodded. "It is not something I am looking forward to."

….

 **Sickbay, U.S.S. Darwin**

Doctor Shelly Wilson was taking care of Rafi under Doctor Walker's supervision while Greg Hammond took care of Shizuka's sprains. Shizuka was laying back stoically and toughing out the pain as Greg did his job. Hammond said, "I've got your left knee and calf straightened out Chief Nadeshiko." He felt her tense up. "Don't move Lieutenant. I still have your right arm to work on." Shizuka just grumbled under her breath and Doctor Hammond smiled. "Next time you decide to do impromptu rock climbing try not to fall off a cliff okay?"

First Officer Mei Terumi came in and saw Rafi was in bad shape. She didn't interrupt the busy Doctors. Then she came over to the irritable Security Chief and said, "I heard you had a spill and decided to check on you Shizuka. You fell off a cliff…?"

"Cadet Naruto caught me and brought me back up the cliff side." said Shizuka. "He saved my life Commander. But now he's in big trouble."

Mei raised her eyebrows and asked, "Can you elaborate Lieutenant?"

"He can walk straight up cliffs in defiance of gravity. I don't know how he does it." said the Security Chief in a baffled tone.

Doctor Hammond said, "It probably has something to do with his hybrid nature. He has more bioelectric energy in him than everyone else on this ship combined."

"Interesting." said Mei with her usual smile. "The Captain will want to talk to him about this little secret. Something like that should surely be in his medical records."

Shizuka sighed. "I hope Captain James isn't too hard on him. He saved Cadet Rafi from certain death as well."

"I'll talk to the Captain on his behalf." said Mei.

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2273.043. To use a human phrase 'the cat is out of the bag.' My chakra abilities are being studied and Captain James is most displeased that I've kept those abilities hidden. He has ordered the medical staff to run every test they can think of on my person and it has been most uncomfortable. Since I technically never lied and simply did not use my abilities (homework notwithstanding) I am in less trouble with Captain James than I originally estimated. I do not know what my final punishment will be however._

 _My friend Doctor Shelly Wilson is utterly fascinated with chakra and wishes to study it in detail…._

Naruto was lying in a bed in sickbay under a deep scanner that was mapping all of his bodily functions. Doctor Walker was hovering over the scanner and said, "This is amazing! Do you realize that you have an entirely independent circulatory system for your chakra energy? Why in the heavens did you not share this with us Cadet? I'm looking at what could be an evolutionary step towards energy based life!"

"I did not share this with you for two reasons Doctor." said the blond hybrid. "First I am doing an independent genetic study on the subject already regarding the extinct civilization of Tori Prime IV."

"And the second reason?" asked Doctor Walker.

"I did not wish to be poked, prodded and otherwise violated by Doctors and scientists which is exactly what you are doing now." said Naruto. "I am a humanoid being, not a lab animal to be experimented on. As far as I am concerned my rights as a Vulcan and a Federation Citizen are being violated."

"You are a Cadet Officer in Starfleet and have hidden valuable information from us." said Captain James who had just entered Sickbay. "I don't like that at all and it is grounds for dismissal." James then rubbed his forehead as if to ward off a migraine. "I submitted my report to the chain of Command at Starfleet and it seems you are considered too valuable to dismiss however. I don't know who it is but you apparently have a friend or friends in high places. I was going to have you shipped back to the Academy rather than dismissed because your record up to this point has been exemplary and you _did_ save the lives of two of my people."

"Rather than a traditional punishment I'm going to order you to turn over the genetic information you've gathered about yourself to the medical staff to do a joint study with them." said the Captain. "You'd better be on your toes Cadet because I _will_ be keeping an eye on you." Captain James then turned and left.

Naruto was less than thrilled to be an object of the Captain's ire but didn't know what else to do. He saw Commander Terumi walk in with a sway in her hips and she said, "He didn't even cut your pay Cadet Naruto. I think our Captain is going soft. Of course you did save other's lives in the line of duty so that is a major plus. Just between you and I; very nicely done."

….

*① In the mid-23rd century, a Federation experimental colony was founded on Gamma Hydra IV. In 2267, a rogue comet intersected with the orbital path of Gamma Hydra IV. As the trail of the comet passed near the planet, the planet was irradiated by with residue left behind by the comet. This radiation affected the colony, resulting in a total loss of life via extremely rapid aging. (See TOS Episode "The Deadly Years")

*② Snipe Class Frigate: Google "Romulan Snipe Class Frigate" This is a very old design converted to warp technology. It is at best an escort vessel and could not stand up against modern frigate designs.

*③ ECM: Electronic Counter Measures to jam enemy vessels sensors.

*④ This Colony was mentioned in the TOS Episode "Obsession"

*⑤ Pergium (symbol Pe, and also known as roentgenium or Rg) is a chemical element, atomic number 111 on the periodic table.

*⑥ Risa's Planet: Risa is famous throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as a place of tourism and recreation, and is referred to as a "pleasure planet." It got that reputation because of its constant, stable climate, its attractive landscapes, and most of all; its very friendly staff. Its native species, notorious for their open sexual mores, number approximately three billion, and the planet hosts about one billion tourists at any given time.

Whoops! Looks like Naruto's chakra abilities just went public. Who knows what that will lead to. See you next time. Blue out. 1/29/18


	29. Chapter 29

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, after all the hate mail, temper tantrums and death threats I received after last chapter I decided to post another chapter anyway. Hopefully FF has fixed the uploading problems this time. Here is chapter 29. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _"You are a Cadet Officer in Starfleet and have hidden valuable information from us." said Captain James who had just entered Sickbay. "I don't like that at all and it is grounds for dismissal." James then rubbed his forehead as if to ward off a migraine. "I submitted my report to the chain of Command at Starfleet and it seems you are considered too valuable to dismiss however. I don't know who it is but you apparently have a friend or friends in high places. I was going to have you shipped back to the Academy rather than dismissed because your record up to this point has been exemplary and you did save the lives of two of my people."_

 _"Rather than a traditional punishment I'm going to order you to turn over the genetic information you've gathered about yourself to the medical staff to do a joint study with them." said the Captain. "You'd better be on your toes Cadet because I_ _will_ _be keeping an eye on you." Captain James then turned and left._

 _Naruto was less than thrilled to be an object of the Captain's ire but didn't know what else to do. He saw Commander Terumi walk in with a sway in her hips and she said, "He didn't even cut your pay Cadet Naruto. I think our Captain is going soft. Of course you did save other's lives in the line of duty so that is a major plus. Just between you and I; very nicely done."_

 _…._

Chapter 29

 **Stardate 2273.050, Gamma Theta System,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

It had been a week since Naruto had been ordered to submit himself for testing and after the first day Naruto flat out refused. He cited that his rights were being violated and that Captain James was exceeding his authority. That ended up with Naruto being confined to his quarters until further notice. Many of the ship's crewmembers were rather frightened at the way this could play out. The _Think Tank_ members were bordering on mutinous and most of the crew believed the Captain was dead wrong. The question was what to do about it….

For her part Shizuka felt absolutely horrible about the turn of events. She reported that Naruto had saved her using ' _an unknown ability_ ' per regulations but Captain James went completely overboard with it. Shizuka expected Naruto to be questioned about being able to defy gravity but not treated like an experiment. Doctor Walker had given Naruto a once over but Doctor Shelly Wilson and Greg Hammond refused citing his rights. Even worse for Shizuka it created a rift between her and her newly found cousin T'Lyra. The brunette Vulcan agreed that Shizuka was not responsible for Captain James' unethical behavior but the Security Chief felt responsible and could tell T'Lyra was very angry below the surface.

That same day Commander Mei Terumi was welcoming a special guest aboard the _Darwin_ , Doctor Shikamaru Nara of the Starfleet Medical Division. She'd read Doctor Nara's dossier and the Commander was both curious and concerned about what this geneticist planned to do to Naruto. She felt like Captain James had opened Pandora's Box and left Mei to close it. Mei saw an awfully young looking black haired human man with dark, bored looking eyes beam aboard along with several containers of medical equipment. "Welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Darwin_ , Doctor Nara." said the Commander pleasantly. "I am Commander Mei Terumi, the ship's executive officer. I trust you had no problems getting here with all your….luggage?"

Doctor Nara wore a blue Ensign's Uniform but was considered one of the most highly respected geneticists in the United Federation of Planets. He sighed and said, "Other than having my molecules scattered all over the galaxy by these troublesome transporters everything is fine. I would rather have taken a shuttle. My 'luggage' as you call it is very _, very_ sensitive medical equipment that no one but **_I_** will touch. I trust you have a space set aside for me in your labs as the Surgeon General Staff ordered Commander?"

Mei sweat dropped and thought, ' _Brat. You're barely past twenty whether you are a genius or not_.' "Let me take you to our labs and show you the area designated for you. I'm sure you will find it suitable to your needs."

"How troublesome." said Doctor Nara. "Lead on Commander Terumi."

….

 **Lab 3**

"This won't do at all." said Shikamaru in a flat tone. "I thought this ship was modernized recently."

Mei was gritting her teeth and said, "The lab room is _exactly_ as the Admiralty from Starfleet Medical ordered it to be Doctor."

"What about my personal preferences I sent ahead from Earth?" asked Shikamaru.

"Your request was denied on the authority of **_Captain_** Francis James **_Ensign_**." said Mei with a smile so pleasant that Shikamaru's hair stood on end in fear. "I suggest you make do as a _superior officer_ to a _subordinate_. You _don't_ want to lock horns with Captain James."

' _What a troublesome woman_.' thought the shaken Shikamaru. ' _How am I supposed to work under these conditions? It would have been easier to have Naruto sent to Starfleet Headquarters than me dragging myself out here_.'

….

 **Naruto M'Fau's Quarters**

Naruto was working quietly in his quarters on triple encrypting his genetic studies. He'd called upon his fellow _Think Tank_ Cadet Daniel Simmons to help. The backup copy was back on Vulcan with his Mother T'Ara so Naruto could destroy his copy if necessary. The blonde wasn't about to hand his precious research over without a fight. His mate T'Lyra had been absolutely furious (by Vulcan standards) at Captain James. Naruto managed to calm her down and said he'd find a logical solution to the situation. He'd also made a few discreet (coded) calls via his fellow _Think Tank_ Cadets in the last few days and was waiting for an answer….then he heard a knock on his door and quickly put his research away before answering it.

It was Shizuka Nadeshiko. Naruto saw she was there on business so he saluted and said, "How may I be of service Lieutenant Nadeshiko?"

Shizuka looked a bit saddened and said, "I'm here to escort you to Lab 3. A geneticist named Shikamaru Nara is here to see you. He asked that I retrieve you for some testing…. _and I don't think it's right_ …." she muttered under her breath.

"Does this person want me to bring anything?" asked Naruto.

The Security Chief shook her head. "He just said to bring you and that it would take some time."

The blonde nodded. "I understand. Let me straighten my things up and we'll go."

The Security Chief was very puzzled about Naruto complying so easily. She almost _wanted_ Naruto to fight back so she could claim to the mad scientist that Naruto couldn't see him. Soon the odd pair of Vulcans were at the door to Lab 3 and Shizuka rapped on the door.

"Doctor Nara, I've brought Cadet Naruto as you requested." she said.

The door opened and the geneticist said, "Welcome Cadet Naruto." and motioned the blonde Vulcan in. When Shizuka went to follow Shikamaru said, "I will be talking with Mister Naruto _alone_ Security Chief. I hope you don't mind but post a security guard at the door."

Lieutenant Nadeshiko looked a bit torn but said, "You'll get your guards Doctor." ' _You'd better not hurt him_.'

As soon as she left Shikamaru said, "Lock." and the door beeped in affirmation.

Shikamaru turned to face Naruto and said, "You always were a troublesome one Doctor Naruto M'Fau; even back at the Vulcan Science Academy."

Naruto had a gleam of pure mischief in his eyes and said, "It's good to see you again Doctor Shikamaru Nara. It's pleasant to see that you can still pronounce my Clan name."

Shikamaru smiled. "You called, I came. You said you needed a lawyer so here I am."

"I still fail to see why a respected geneticist as yourself decided to study law." said the blonde hybrid.

"Touché." said Shikamaru. "This coming from a genetics and xenobiology major that dawdles away his time designing starships."

The two shook hands and Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra. "I want to nail Captain James _to the wall_ Shikamaru. My background is **_classified_** by the Admiralty."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and said, "I don't think I've ever seen you this seriously pissed Naruto. It's not like you to go straight for the jugular like this."

"It's logical to make an example of Captain Francis James so others won't cross the same line." said Naruto with an edge in his voice.

"Come into my parlor." said Doctor Nara grandly. He pulled out a tablet and asked. "Do you want Captain James formally censured for his actions….or more?"

"I want him sacked from his Command and his rank lost." said Naruto. "Can you make it happen Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru said, "Consider it done. I'll need formal statements from you of course. He may not realize it but Captain James is already in the middle of a minefield with several branches of the Admiralty. He should have read your dossier that clearly says ' ** _Classified_** ' before he made such over the top orders. Trust me my friend. Captain Francis James is going down."

….

The two friends discussed their plan of action for about three hours as Shikamaru started drafting formal charges against Captain James. "Remember Naruto, if he orders the research information you've been working on for years then you stonewall him. You already have an offsite backup but I don't want you to destroy your work just yet. Just encode it to some ridiculous level of security that no one but you can crack. Outside of that I'll be transmitting my findings to my liaison at Starfleet Medical which will then go to the Admiralty."

"Thank you for coming Shikamaru." said Naruto. "I am in your debt."

Shikamaru shrugged. "The way I see it I'll be in debt to you for a long time from back at the Vulcan Science Academy. This is the _least_ I can do to return the favor."

….

 **Captain's Ready Room**

Francis James was pale and sweaty. He decided to go back over Naruto's file to see what made the blonde Vulcan Hybrid tick. Vulcans as a rule weren't arrogant but they could be very stubborn and set in their ways. While the Captain had read Naruto's service record he hadn't delved into Naruto's personal file which had his racial makeup as VULCAN/CLASSIFIED by orders of Starfleet Command as of Stardate 2254.010 which was before Naruto was even born. Worse still, the classification was at a Rear Admiral's level!

" _What have I done…?_ " whispered Captain James to himself. " _That boy….he could have me hung for this_ …."

….

Captain James knocked on Naruto's door hoping to diffuse the situation before all hell broke loose. Naruto opened his door and saw the Captain standing there. The blonde stood at attention and said, "May I help you sir?"

"I'd like a word with you Cadet, in private." said James. Naruto stepped aside and let the Captain into his quarters. Captain James said, "Please be at ease Cadet. Have a seat." Naruto sat down but was obviously not at ease. The Captain stroked his chin and said, "It seems that I've made a terrible mistake with you Cadet. I wish to offer a sincere apology. Your record is clean as of a week ago and you are no longer confined to quarters."

Naruto stood up and locked eyes with the Captain. He was throwing off enough killing intent to make a le-matya curl up in a ball in fear. Captain James was shaking in terror. "Trying to save your career sir?" asked the blonde. "Did you just realize my background is **_classified_** beyond your clearance level? It's too late Captain, the charges have already been filed. The one who is getting dismissed is **_you_** ; not me. Do not think for a millisecond that I am not going to see you **_ruined_** for your violations against my person Captain James."

The Captain stepped back in fear and bumped into the wall of Naruto's quarters. His face was etched in horror. He had no place to run from this predator. Naruto started listing off things that he was charging James with. "Abuse of Power, Exceeding Authority, Violating Civil Rights of a Federation and Vulcan Citizen, Violation of Classified Material of the Starfleet Admiralty, Attempted Seizure of Classified Materials….That's only the beginning Captain. Your career is **_over_**. It's only a matter of time. Perhaps you should got to your quarters and consider your _own_ options."

Naruto ceased his killing intent and the terrified Captain James left on shaky legs. His heart was hammering in his chest and he knew he'd unleashed a monster. James went to his quarters and tried to think of a way to free himself from the hell of his own making….

T'Lyra sensed her mate's killing intent easily from across the ship and reached out to him mentally. Naruto's thoughts turned rather serene at her mental caress. ' _Everything is fine now T'Lyra; I am no longer confined to quarters_.'

' _What about Captain James' orders?_ ' asked the brunette.

Naruto simply answered, ' _He revoked his own orders_.'

' _How did you convince him?_ ' T'Lyra thought back.

' _I didn't_.' thought the blonde. ' _He just realized what a mistake he's made_.'

The brunette asked, ' _What about all the killing intent?_ '

' _I simply showed him what an apex predator is_.' stated the blonde.

He felt her smile mentally….

….

 **Shizuka Nadeshiko's Quarters 03:12**

The ship's live fire weapon's alarm went off and Shizuka Nadeshiko was asleep in bed. The Security Chief immediately leapt out of bed and threw on her uniform. Pulling her long black hair back in a band to hold it in her traditional ponytail she grabbed her phaser II pistol and called the bridge, "This is Chief Nadeshiko! Where did the live firing take place?"

" _Deck 5….Captain's Quarters_." said the Security Guard on watch duty.

"On my way." said Shizuka.

….

 **Captain's Quarters 03:23**

Shizuka led her people in and found Captain James in the floor beside his work desk. His library terminal was still on. Shizuka saw the phaser still in the Captain's grip as she checked him for a pulse. She shook her head and said, "Call Doctor Walker and Commander Terumi. Cancel the live fire alert as of 03:27."

Both Commander Terumi and Doctor Walker arrived 15 minutes later and saw the Captain's body. The only thing that had been touched was the phaser had been pried from the Captain's death grip. Doctor Jonathan Walker conducted a medical exam and said into his tricorder,

 _Ship's Medical Log, Stardate 2273.051: Doctor Jonathan Walker reporting. As of 03:51 I pronounce Captain Francis James dead by phaser fire to the head. Pending further investigation by security it appears to be a suicide._

….

The medics took the body to the ship's morgue pending an autopsy once security had secured the Captain's Quarters and positions of the body. The library computer contained a final entry in it from Captain James. "Play last entry." said Commander Terumi. The screen came up and Captain James sat there staring at the screen for several seconds before he spoke. The man looked haunted and ten years older than normal. He said,

 _Personal Log of Captain Francis James: Stardate 2273.051. I have come to the realization that my actions against Cadet Officer Naruto have broken many of the Federation's laws both literally and in spirit. I've discovered too late that my career is over and the charges being pressed against me are insurmountable. Some may consider ending my life by suicide the coward's way out but I prefer to die by my own terms. My final orders are to Commander Mei Terumi; for now you are acting Captain of the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _. I trust and pray your judgment proves better than mine. For what it's worth, please inform Cadet Officer Naruto that I am sorry. This is Captain Francis James signing off._

Mei watched as the Captain ended his life with a phaser and winced as he fell over dead. After several seconds the screen went into standby mode. Mei sighed and said, "Screen off."

Shizuka saluted and said, "Your Orders Captain Terumi?"

Mei looked over her shoulder and said, "Confirm the actual suicide per regulations and secure this room Chief Nadeshiko. I have a report to submit to Starfleet Command."

….

 **Captain's Ready Room**

Mei was talking to Admiral Hiruzen Sarutobi of the Sixth Fleet Headquarters at Starbase 10 having submitted her report. She'd served on his staff in the past and though young had always proven to be an exemplary officer. Admiral Sarutobi said, "Ordinarily I'd assign a new Captain but you've proven time and again to be able to handle anything I've thrown at you. I wish it was under better circumstances but congratulations on your promotion."

Mei said solemnly, "Thank you sir; I will do my best."

"I know you will Captain Terumi." said Admiral Sarutobi in a grave tone. "Finish your mission at Theta VII and return to Starbase 10. I will try to find an appropriate Executive Officer to assist you in the meantime." He saluted and said, "Starbase 10 out."

" _U.S.S. Darwin_ out." said Mei with a salute.

….

The next morning ship's crew was shocked by the sudden death of Captain James but was ordered to continue the survey of Theta VII by Captain Terumi. No mention was made of the suicide but many in the security branch and medical branches already knew. The _reason_ behind the suicide was limited to Commander Terumi and the staff officers however.

Naruto was ordered to report to Captain Terumi as he started his shift. "Cadet Naruto M'Fau reporting for duty Captain Terumi." said Naruto as he saluted her.

"At ease Cadet." said Mei. Naruto raised an eyebrow and she said, "Captain James asked me to pass along the message that he was sorry for what happened. I know your record was cleared by him before he passed so I want you to know that as far as I'm concerned your actions saving Cadet Rafi and Lieutenant Shizuka are to be commended." She smiled in her usual way. "On that note can you actually defy gravity? I'm just curious really."

"I can walk up vertical surfaces with ease Captain." said Naruto.

"Interesting." said the beautiful redhead. "Next time I decide to go rock climbing I'll have you come along as a safety net. You are dismissed Cadet."

The blonde Vulcan left the Captain's Ready Room and stepped onto the bridge to assume his station at Special Sensor number three. He saw Rafi was at the helm and fully healed. He was glad to see she was fully recovered. The Trill girl gave him a little wave and mouthed ' _Welcome back_.' Naruto just nodded.

….

 **Stardate 2273.057, Gamma Theta System,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.057: Acting Captain Mei Terumi reporting. We have finished surveying the Theta VII Colony and found traces of Pergium in the Northern Hemisphere but not in the quantities that the Colonists were hoping for. We are on our way to Starbase 10 to deliver Captain James' body for transport back to Earth. I have been informed that an appropriate First Officer should be selected when we arrive in three days. In the meantime we are continuing to drill the cadets as well as work out the few bugs left in the_ _Darwin_ ….

….

 **T'Lyra's Quarters**

Shizuka was on F Deck, Outside Room 135-B hoping to make amends but she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. The feelings of indecisiveness were about to drive her insane. ' _I'm the Chief of Security damn it! But T'Lyra's my only link to my relatives and I hurt her and her husband….How do I apologize? What do I say? ….Gee, I'm really sorry but I had to file that report honestly. Damn Captain James; he took the coward's way out….I've received four different sets of orders to arrest him from different branches of the Admiralty only to have to report he's dead_ ….'

T'Lyra opened her door suddenly and said, "Your thoughts are very loud Lieutenant."

Shizuka blanched white and then blushed green in embarrassment at the same time (which was quite a feat within itself) that everything she thought was heard by her cousin. She looked down in shame and said, "I'm sorry I hurt you and Naruto, T'Lyra. I want to make it up to you but I don't know how…."

The brunette Vulcan sighed softly and said, "I'm going to the gymnasium to see the weekly spars, do you want to join me?"

"You like the fights?" asked Shizuka in surprise.

T'Lyra said, "My mate is participating. He's been locked up in his quarters for a week and wants to loosen up his body."

The Security Chief said weakly, "Well, he has every right to blow off some steam….Is Naruto any good? I've never seen him fight honestly. It could be fun to watch him."

"I'll let you make your own judgment." said T'Lyra. "Your expertise lies in the area of hand to hand combat after all."

The two cousins quietly headed to the ship's gymnasium….

….

 **Gymnasium**

The spars had been extremely wild and the crowd of crewmembers was cheering wildly. Samui had just demolished her opponent and the number of contestants left was dwindling. Shizuka and T'Lyra entered the gym just in time to see the blonde augment girl leave the ring while Doctor Hammond checked over the loser.

The two cousins sat together and they saw a tall and lanky security officer in the ring. He had long dark hair and seemed to have a permanent smirk plastered on his face. The man was receiving both boos and cheers and seemed to be enjoying all the attention he was getting. Shizuka said, "It looks like Ensign Lance Tucker is showing off again."

"Is he any good?" asked T'Lyra.

"He can give me a run for my money." said the Security Chief. "He's a kick boxer and very strong. Too bad he lets it go to his head."

T'Lyra saw her mate on the opposite said of the ring with Samui and the other _Think Tank_ Cadets. She said telepathically, " _Crush that one Naruto. He is arrogant_."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at T'Lyra's choice of words and stood up to challenge Lance. Naruto was in his crimson M'Fau fighting gi that T'Lyra hadn't seen in a long time. Her brown eyes widened and she thought to herself. ' _Naruto is actually serious if he's wearing that_.'

Greg Hammond announced, "In the winner's corner we have Lance Tucker. In the challenger's corner we have Naruto. Come forward and shake hands." Greg looked at Lance and said, "I want a nice clean spar."

Lance smirked and said to Naruto, "Your that one that they were gonna dissect right? How do you say your name again? I like to know who I'm going to beat down."

Shizuka growled in the audience. "Looks like Lance is trash talking again. He gets people angry and they make mistakes."

"An interesting strategy." said T'Lyra.

Naruto took his Kareel-ifla opening stance and simply said, "I am ready Doctor Hammond."

"Begin!" yelled Greg.

"Don't you even have a last name?" asked Lance.

Naruto took a page from his Father Sovar's book and smacked the kick boxer hard enough to send make the audience wince at the cracking sound. The strike sent the human man flying. Naruto said, "If you don't fight seriously then I will."

Tucker got up with a red handprint across his face and said, "You'll pay for that Cadet."

Naruto motioned Lance forward and said, "There are no ranks in the ring Tucker."

The kick boxer charged and tried to knee Naruto as hard as he could. He then tried a three punch combo and found Naruto's defense was unbreakable to his strikes. Naruto countered with a spin kick to Tucker's stomach that sent Tucker skidding back. The Security Officer tried several different angles of attack but found Naruto wouldn't budge an inch no matter how hard he hit the Vulcan hybrid.

After six minutes Naruto said, "You are going down." The blonde lashed out with a six hit V'shan combo that caused Tucker's joints to freeze up. The kick boxer stared dumbfounded as Naruto's fist hit his face like a runaway shuttlecraft. Lance Tucker was unconscious before he hit the mat...

"Winner by knockout; Naruto!" said Greg Hammond. The _Think Tank_ Cadets cheered wildly and many others joined in because frankly, Lance Tucker needed to be put in his place….

Shizuka was dumbfounded as her cousin T'Lyra clapped loudly for her lover. It was painfully obvious that the beautiful brunette was excited in her own Vulcan way. Chief Engineer Sassaav said from behind them, "You never told me your husband could fight like that T'Lyra."

T'Lyra turned to her superior and said, "You never asked Chief Sassaav."

Sassaav just laughed. "It's good to see Tucker knocked down a peg or two."

Naruto left the ring and sat with his fellow fast track Cadets. Kloene slapped the blonde's back and said, "That's the way Naruto; it's good to have you back."

….

Shizuka came over with T'Lyra to congratulate Naruto on his victory. T'Lyra crossed fingers with her mate and she said, "You are in top form today. That was a flawless victory."

The Security Chief said to Naruto, "I had no idea you could fight like that Naruto. You're really amazing."

Naruto nodded and said, "Thank you for your praise Lieutenant."

Shizuka said, "Maybe we can practice together. It's a great way to work out."

The blonde said, "We'll see if we have time." He turned to T'Lyra and said, "I believe I could use a drink."

….

 **Sickbay**

Ensign Lance Tucker woke up hours later with a severe case of face ache as Doctor Walker patched him up. Jonathan Walker smiled and said, "I see you're awake Ensign. Greg told me you got demolished. I guess you made Cadet Naruto mad or something."

Tucker said, "I feel like I've been beaten with a torque wrench. I'd better befriend that Cadet Naruto. I don't want him as an enemy."

"At least Naruto unlocked your joints. You would have been laid up for a week otherwise." said Doctor Walker.

"Damn…." said Lance. "I hope there are no hard feelings on his part. I doubt even Chief Shizuka would be able to take him."

….

 **Stardate 2273.060, Starbase 10**

 _Personal Log of Acting Captain Mei Terumi: Stardate 2273.060. Captain James' body was removed from the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _today and we have no idea whether he will be buried on Earth or somewhere else. He certainly won't get a military funeral. The staff paid their final respects to him although with his suicide and disgrace Shizuka Nadeshiko refused to see him and referred to him as a coward. Personally I find it hard not to have mixed feelings. I was not in service with him that long so perhaps I am in no position to judge. He seemed like a very competent leader until he decided that Cadet Naruto somehow had become a threat to the ship and crew. I do not know what caused his lapse in judgment and due to his suicide I never will._

 _We also have found out that Ensign Shikamaru Nara is an old friend of Naruto's from the Vulcan Science Academy and never laid a hand on the Cadet. This was immense relief to me although I have to wonder exactly how it all came about. It was certainly no coincidence that the two already knew each other. I've decided not to look into it as I'm sure the Admiralty had a direct hand in this. The Ensign is remaining aboard as a member of the ship's science staff. As it turns out his previous attitude towards me was all an act. I've decided to welcome him as part of the crew rather than my original thought to chuck him out of the nearest airlock…._

 _…._

Mei Terumi reported in to see Admiral Hiruzen Sarutobi. She entered the Sixth Fleet Headquarters and felt a wave of nostalgia as she used to be stationed there. There were lots of new faces but she greeted some old friends on her way to see Admiral Sarutobi. She was soon buzzed in by the old Admiral's secretary. "Enter." said Sarutobi. Seeing Mei come in and salute Hiruzen smiled and said, "Welcome back Mei. It's good to see you looking so well." ' _Oh how I miss the old uniforms that showed all that leg_.' he thought with a slight nosebleed. "At ease Commander." said the aged Admiral.

Mei smiled in her usual way and said, "It's good to see you again sir. You look fit as ever. How are you and Biwako doing?"

The Admiral grinned and said, "As always my lovely wife is the real Commander of the Sixth Fleet. I just serve as her proxy."

The red haired woman laughed and said, "You never change sir."

Sarutobi said, "While it's not the formal ceremony I'd like to have for you I have your official promotion paperwork and your Captain's bars." He pinned the bars on her and said, "May the wind always be at your back. Congratulations _Captain_ Mei Terumi."

Mei felt her eyes mist up a bit and said, "Thank you sir. I'm honored that you are the one to promote me."

Hiruzen just looked at her proudly and said, "I'll be expecting a tour of your ship Captain. As I understand it from Ensign Shikamaru Nara she's the most modern vessel he's ever been on."

' _Why that little brat_ ….' she thought to herself. "I have some questions about that particular Ensign actually."

Hiruzen said, " _Don't ask_. I don't know either. Consider him an ordinary Ensign on your staff as that is exactly what he is."

Captain Terumi expected that answer but couldn't help but feel disappointed. "I understand completely sir."

Changing subjects Admiral Sarutobi sat down at his desk and said, "Have a seat Captain." After Mei seated herself Hiruzen said, "Your new First Officer is not who I had originally planned for personal reasons. He is an outstanding officer and was just promoted to full Commander. I don't feel he belongs in the Sixth Fleet but when Starfleet Command orders someone in then you obey."

The redhead said, "I'm afraid I don't understand sir. You say he's an outstanding officer but you don't want him for personal reasons?"

Hiruzen sighed. "Your First Officer is my youngest son, Commander Asuma Sarutobi." Her eyebrows raised. "He shouldn't be in the same direct chain of command as his old man. It's not proper."

"I….see sir." replied Captain Terumi. "This is most unexpected."

"It was a surprise to me as well." said Hiruzen in a dry tone. "Make sure you train him well Mei. He's a bit full of himself right now."

….

 **Stabase 10 Spacedock**

Commander Asuma Sarutobi was looking out through the transparent aluminum windows of the spacedock. He was admiring the _U.S.S. Darwin's_ starboard side from a distance and he thought, ' _She's a beauty. She has much finer lines than her sisterships since that refit. They did on hell of a job with her on Mars_.' Asuma soon took a tram around to the docking port that the _Darwin_ was attached to. He saw numerous shuttles, workbees and crewman all over the ship checking it over. As the Commander walked across the gangplank to the port saucer section he couldn't help but be impressed. The _Darwin_ was spotless.

The Security Guards at the entrance to the ship saluted and Asuma said, "Commander Asuma Sarutobi reporting for duty as Executive Officer of the _U.S.S. Darwin_."

Asuma handed over his identification and the guards ran verification checks before they saluted and said, "Welcome aboard sir."

"Thank you Ensign." said Asuma. "Where might I find the Captain?"

The guard said, "She left orders for you here to report to the Bridge sir."

"Understood." said Asuma as he marched aboard. Within ten minutes he found that the Darwin was laid out quite differently from other cruisers he'd been on and was hopelessly lost. ' _Well, I know I'm on Deck 7, how do I get to the bridge?_ ' He saw a door logo for medical division and wondered if it wasn't sickbay. Entering he saw a swarm of activity as equipment was being checked over and tested by the Medical Staff. He saw an attractive Cadet in a medical smock apparently taking inventory and said, "Excuse me."

She looked up from her tablet and saluted crisply. "Hello sir, are you in need of medical assistance?"

Asuma chuckled and said, "No Cadet, I'm new on this ship and I'm looking for the Bridge. I'm Commander Asuma Sarutobi."

She replied, "Cadet Shelly Wilson at your service sir."

An Ensign walked up to the Cadet and saluted both her and the Commander. "Doctor Wilson, Starbase 10 says they can't fill all of the supplies that we ordered."

Commander Sarutobi's eyebrows raised a bit at the ' _Doctor'_ part of the conversation. Shelly said, "Let me see the list Ensign Young." She sighed and said, "I'll get this rectified. Please escort Commander Sarutobi to the Bridge."

"Understood Ma'am." said Ensign Young. He turned to Asuma and said, "Please follow me sir."

Asuma was following Ensign Young along and asked, "Ensign; why are you taking orders from a Cadet?"

"Doctor Wilson has a brevet*① rank of full Lieutenant in sickbay." explained Ensign Young. "She's got a full Doctoral degree and specializes in neurosurgery. I'm just a nurse practitioner so I'm lower on the totem pole than she is. Besides, she's an amazing Doctor."

"That's a bit irregular." commented the Commander.

"Aye sir." said Ensign Young as he led Asuma into the turbolift. Once the door shut Young said. "Bridge."

The turbolift hummed as it took them to the Bridge and Asuma could hardly tell that it was moving. When the doors opened he saw the very large and well equipped Bridge. Like everywhere else people were carefully checking equipment while they were in dock. Ensign Young said, "Will there be anything else sir?"

Asuma turned back and said, "No, that is all Ensign. Thank you for your time."

"Anytime sir." said Ensign Young with a salute. He then got back on the turbolift and departed.

Commander Sarutobi saw the swarm of activity as well as all of the Cadets present on the bridge and thought aloud, "Is this a shakedown cruise or a Cadet Cruise?

A beautiful redhead with Captains bars looked up at him from her tablet and said, "It's _both_ Commander Asuma Sarutobi. I'm Captain Mei Terumi. Welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Darwin_ ….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Brevet Rank: a temporary authorization for a person to hold a higher rank. Essentially Doctor Wilson is an Acting Lieutenant.

This chapter flowed fairly well I think. The first (very eventful) third of the Cadet Cruise has passed and Naruto is free and clear. Next chapter we will be back in space again for another adventure. See you next time. Blue Out. 1/31/18


	30. Chapter 30

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Just a short note, several people have asked why Naruto is referred to as 'Cadet Naruto" rather than 'Cadet M'Fau.' The reason is humans have a hard time pronouncing his surname. (The same goes for T'Lyra's surname). Shikamaru is one of those rare exceptions that learned how to pronounce Naruto's full name since they were at the Vulcan Science Academy together. Here is chapter 30. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _The turbolift hummed as it took them to the Bridge and Asuma could hardly tell that it was moving. When the doors opened he saw the very large and well equipped Bridge. Like everywhere else people were carefully checking equipment while they were in dock. Ensign Young said, "Will there be anything else sir?"_

 _Asuma turned back and said, "No, that is all Ensign. Thank you for your time."_

 _"Anytime sir." said Ensign Young with a salute. He then got back on the turbolift and departed._

 _Commander Sarutobi saw the swarm of activity as well as all of the Cadets present on the bridge and thought aloud, "Is this a shakedown cruise or a Cadet Cruise?"_

 _A beautiful redhead with Captains bars looked up at him from her tablet and said, "It's both Commander Asuma Sarutobi. I'm Captain Mei Terumi. Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Darwin…._

 _…._

Chapter 30

 **Stardate 2273.067 Imperial Klingon Empire, H'atoria System, Planet H'atoria**

 **Bridge, Imperial Kingon Vessel _Dawnslayer_**

Kiba Warrigul*① was the Prodigal Son of the Klingon Noble House of Warrigul who liked fast women, fast shuttles and generally wasting time and money….and he'd been given the choice of joining the military or being expelled from his clan due to has irresponsible behavior. As a result Kiba went through training to become an Ensign and generally did as little as possible….Until he was assigned to the Imperial Klingon Vessel _Dawnslayer_ , one of the finest Command Cruisers in the Klingon Deep Space Fleet. Normally being on such a ship was considered a great honor and a fast track to promotion but sadly the _Dawnslayer's_ Commander was none other than Commodore Tsume Warrigul….Kiba's ferocious Mother.

Kiba was less than thrilled. His Mother was so vicious that Kiba's Father committed suicide rather than remain married to her. Kiba had one older sibling named Hana that was also aboard as the ship's Doctor. She held the rank of Lieutenant Commander and though she wasn't as brutal as Tsume; she was certainly her Mother's daughter. She ' _affectionately_ ' referred to Kiba as 'the runt' much to the amusement of his shipmates. No one else called him 'runt' to his face but it was still degrading. Currently Kiba was at the helm of the _Dawnslayer_ which he actually had talent for.

At present the _Dawnslayer_ was en route to the Klingon Planet H'atoria to put down a local uprising by the Selsseress.*③ Uprisings of subject races happened from time to time and had to be put down ruthlessly to keep the idea from spreading. As a result the _Dawnslayer_ was carrying and extra contingent of Marines to do the job. Normally these grunt jobs were left to Commando ships but the _Dawnslayer_ was there in the area and Tsume relished in hand to hand combat so off they went.

"We're entering orbit above H'atoria Commodore Tsume." said Kiba. "Your orders?"

Tsume was in a good mood. Kiba was behaving as a good Klingon Officer should. She hadn't even had to bounce his head off his workstation to get him to pay attention (which was rare). Feeling generous, Tsume said, "Ensign Kiba, you will be leading Squad 9 personally in combat on the surface. Do not disappoint me."

Kiba did his best not to blanch and said, "Understood Commodore." The young Klingon Officer quickly went to his quarters and grabbed his bat'leth*④ and body armor before re-holstering his d'k tahg*⑤ that he always carried regardless. He briefly considered grabbing his disruptor pistol but knew his Mother would not approve of picking his opponents off at long range as he was prone to do. Combat had to be up close and personal wetwork as far as Tsume was concerned. Kiba thought to himself, ' _Bah! Mother seems to think that if we are less than Kahless the Unforgettable*⑥ that we aren't real Klingons_.'

….

 **Transporter Room**

Kiba was talking to the Marine Sergeant in charge of Squad 9 and explained that he would be commanding them. The Sergeant's name was Kolax and he felt that Kiba was unworthy of leading them. "Still nursing on your Mother's teats, runt?" he asked Kiba.

Now Kiba would have been the first to say someone else would have been a better choice to lead Squad 9 but this lowly Sergeant just said things that would force Kiba into a Duel of Honor with him or Kiba's Honor would not only be lost; he would be a laughing stock as well. Kiba said, "My Mother's teats ooze nothing but poison fool. Prepare to die!"

Kolax laughed and drew his d'k tahg. He said, "This is your last chance to run runt!"

Kiba growled and drew his own d'k tahg knife. He was smaller and less experienced in combat than Kolax but Kiba had one edge on the older Klingon. He was fast. Kiba immediately spun his knife and went straight for Kolax's face causing the older Klingon to recoil. He then kicked Kolax in the kneecap and sent the Sergeant flying back into his men who were cheering.

Kolax rushed back into the fight only to have the wrist of his knife hand slashed. The Sergeant bellowed and dropped him d'k tahg on the floor with a clatter. He dived to try to grab his knife with his other hand but Kiba kicked him hard enough in the ribs to break them even with body armor. The Ensign kicked him in the ribs again causing the Sergeant to flip over on his back and left his d'k tahg out of reach. Kolax was struggling to breathe when Kiba's knife stabbed him through the heart. Purple blood sprayed everywhere as Kolax bled out.

Kiba hissed in Kolax's ear, "Knife play is a specialty of mine. Tell them that when you get to Gre'Thor*⑦."

The young Ensign turned to the rest of Squad 9 and motioned to Kolax's body. "Leave that piece of targ manure to rot. We have work to do." Kiba turned to the transporter chief and said "Beam us down at the coordinates specified by the Commodore."

….

 **Planet H'atoria, surface**

….Soon Ensign Kiba found himself beamed into a nightmare. The area his squad was beamed into was swarming with the amphibious Selsseress and was near the ocean were the stupid beasts had the advantage. Worse still the Selsseress seemed to shrug off disruptor and knife wounds. Kiba roared to his men, "These creatures are just too dumb to die! Switch to your bat'leths and take off their stupid heads!" **That** got results. Soon the uprising in Squad 9's area was put down and there were decapitated bodies everywhere. By some miracle Squad 9 also lost no men in spite of the fact they were all injured to a minor degree except Kiba. Tsume's son hadn't had a disruptor to begin with so he switched to his (very effective) bat'leth long before he ordered the others to.

After a brief rest Squad 9 had bandaged their wounds and Kiba called the ship. "This is Ensign Kiba to the _Dawnslayer_. My men and I have cleared out our designated area. We are still fit for battle. Are there other squads that need backup?"

The surprised voice of the first officer Japar came on the line, " _This is Commander Japar, Kiba. Did you say your unit is still fit for battle? You were in a heavily concentrated enemy area_."

Kiba replied, "We've suffered no losses and have only minor injuries. Send us to battle where we need to be sir!"

Japar's voice crackled on the communicator. " _Squad 6 is surrounded. It's a kilometer north of you. We will beam Squad 9 to an empty area south of there where you can formulate a plan to break them out Ensign_."

….

Hours later Squad 9 was back on the _IKV Dawnslayer_ in a celebratory mood and were sharing a few bottles of Bloodwine*⑧ "It's a good day to be a Klingon!" roared one of Kiba's men. The subjugation of H'atoria had been a smashing success and their squad was recognized as going over and above having fought in three battles with no losses. They'd done even better than Squad 1 that Commodore Tsume led personally. As Kiba drank he felt the adrenalin finally start to wear off. He'd acted the part of the unstoppable warrior but the truth was he'd been terrified….

A few hours later Kiba was back in his quarters and though he enjoyed the revelry with his men he was wondering to himself, ' _Is this the way of the warrior? What the hell am I doing here in the Navy? Is my Mother insane…?_ ' Unfortunately for Kiba none of his questions would be answered anytime soon….He looked over at his pet Targ Akamaru snoozing peacefully and decided that the Targ had the right idea. It had been a long and tiring day….

….

 **Captain's Office, _IKV Dawnslayer_**

Tsume was writing in her personal (secret) log:

 _Personal Log of Commodore Tsume Warrigul: Stardate 2273.067. It seems that my son Kiba is **finally** realizing his potential. Today I promised Sergeant Kolax a promotion if he could draw Kiba into a duel and defeat him. I'd given Kiba a 50/50 chance of survival because he's inherited my talent with a d'k tahg. To my honest shock Kiba defeated Kolax handily and ran his blade through the Sergeant's heart. (No big loss). _

_With Kiba in charge of Squad 9 I arranged for them to be in the worst situation of all the squads. There was no doubt in my mind that Kiba and his men would have to kill savagely or be killed in turn. My son not only led his men to victory but they also saved Squad 6 and contributed to the battle Squad 8 was in with no losses to themselves. For the first time since Kiba has been grown I can truly say I'm proud to have him as my son. He is starting to earn the respect that is fitting for the House of Warrigul. I will continue to test him and guide him down the path of the warrior as any responsible parent would. I really didn't appreciate him saying I nursed him on poison though….My daughter Hana thought it was hilarious…._

….

 **Stardate 2273.068 Starbase 10, United Federation of Planets**

 _Ship's Log Stardate 2273.068: Captain Mei Terumi reporting. After a week in dock the U.S.S. Darwin is once again ready to set sail. Chief Engineer Sassaav has finally given the ship a satisfactory report and the many teething troubles we've had are for the most part rectified. Commander Asuma Sarutobi is learning the joys of being Executive Officer and has been running from stem to stern learning how this ship operates. I'm pleased to say he's doing well although making the transition to our rather odd Cadet ranking system has him a bit confused. In order to alleviate that situation he ordered the ship's shops to make brevet rank pins for those acting in a higher capacity than would normally be associated with their regular rank. The Medical section in particular had him confused so it is for the best._

 _Admiral Hiruzen Sarutobi came aboard and took a tour while giving a formal inspection. I'm very pleased to say the Darwin passed the inspection with flying colors. We will be casting off at 13:00 hours this afternoon so our crew on shore leave will have time to return to the ship. We also have several guests aboard that will be departing soon. In spite of the recent difficulties the U.S.S. Darwin is once again ready for duty_….

….

 **Kloene's Quarters**

Kloene had two things on his mind; beautiful women and Auxiliary Warp Reactors. (As to the former; his dream girl Leatta was still out of his reach -as usual). He'd been visited by Captain Vach M'Fau this morning and as always was intimidated by the Vulcan woman. Kloene initially made a great deal of progress on the AWR project and potentially could become very wealthy off the design. That all stopped when he assumed his duties on the _U.S.S._ _Darwin_. She'd asked for a progress report since the Cadet Cruise started and Kloene explained that he simply hadn't had time to do as much as he'd hoped. In spite of the fact Naruto had helped a great deal with ideas aside of the material he'd already provided from Tirunze things had slowed to a proverbial crawl. ' _I have to wonder what makes Vulcans tick. I'd swear Naruto and Captain Vach must somehow be related_ ….' thought the big Orion.

Little did he know….

….

 **Naruto M'Fau's Quarters**

Captain Vach M'fau was visiting Naruto to pick up her blonde nephew's latest advancements on the new light cruiser design. She said, "Admiral Tolm was not pleased with the situation you were in and ordered Captain James' arrest Cadet M'Fau. Know that you have the full support of the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair. I realize that many aspiring officers would resign were they in your position but I for one am pleased to see you are staying with Starfleet. Your contributions in starship design are considered invaluable to the Bureau."

"Spacefaring runs in the blood of our family doesn't it Captain Vach?" asked Naruto. "My Mother, Grandfather, you…"

Vach raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did your Mother tell you?"

"She told me you were my late Grandfather's twin." said Naruto. "I fail to see the logic in you keeping it hidden from me for so long."

"We have to maintain a professional relationship so I simply kept the fact I'm your Great Aunt quiet." said Vach.

Naruto said, "Mother rarely mentions her Father. Perhaps next time we meet you could tell me about him. I understand you were very close."

Vach looked at her grand nephew and said, "I believe that could be arranged. He was an Engineer….you remind me a great deal of him. He would have been very proud of you. I know I am." She gave him the Vulcan salute and said, "Peace and long life my nephew."

Naruto returned her salute and said, "Live long and prosper Aunt Vach."

With that she departed leaving her nephew to wonder about the enigma that was his Great Aunt….

….

 **Bridge**

Captain Mei Terumi had Rafi at the helm and the Cadet gently guided the Galactic Survey Cruiser out of spacedock using thrusters only. As soon as they cleared Starbase 10 Mei said "Full impulse power Cadet Rafi."

Rafi replied, "Acknowledged." as the ship accelerated forward.

The Captain then turned to her readout and said, "Lieutenant Karatek, lay in a course to 40 Eridani A. We are going to Planet Vulcan."

If Karatek was pleased about going to her homeworld she didn't show it. "Course laid in Captain." replied the navigator.

"Ahead Warp Factor three, Rafi. Execute!" said Mei. "We have quite a ways to travel."

"Ahead Warp Factor three Captain." said Rafi as the _Darwin's_ warp engines lit up. The Galactic Survey Cruiser vanished in a flash of light….

….

 **Stardate 2273.073, 40 Eridani A System, Planet Vulcan Orbit**

 _Ship's Log Stardate 2273.073: Captain Mei Terumi reporting. NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin will be participating in an experiment with our sistership NCC-1800 U.S.S Byrd. The Byrd has been here for over a week loading special equipment aboard to test a new device; a Stasis Field Generator that can literally stop time around an object. The Darwin's main purpose is to monitor our sistership with special equipment that we are currently loading aboard. If all goes according to schedule both ships will be ready in two days and the experiment will be conducted then. Luckily for the Darwin we don't have to do anything extensive equipment wise. On the other hand U.S.S. Byrd has lost the use of her shuttle bay for the experiment._

 _I don't envy her officers and crew having to deal with such a major task…._

….

Captain Wilhelm Peters was on the main viewscreen speaking with Captain Terumi about the upgrades to the _U.S.S. Darwin_. He was an old friend of Mei's. Captain Peters was gray at the temples but the rest of his hair was dark brown and he had a very fair complexion. Peters said, "It looks like the _Byrd_ will be undergoing a refit identical to the _Darwin_ in 18 months. As I understand it another sistership of ours will be done in between. After we finish this little experiment for the Vulcan Science Academy I'd like to take a tour of the _Darwin_ to see what to expect."

"It would be my pleasure Captain Peters." said Mei with her usual smile. "As I understand it the Vulcan Science Academy's experiment is anything but small though. Stasis Field Generators are quite a breakthrough. I wonder if they can really freeze time around an object as large as a starship like they hope to."

"Well, we'll soon find out when the _Byrd_ places a drone freighter into stasis." said Peters. "The damn device is so huge that it takes up half of the _Byrd's_ shuttle bay. We have several Doctors speaking about quantum physics aboard that even my engineering staff is lost. Doctor Alison Fairbanks*⑨ will be beaming over to the _Darwin_ to monitor the Stasis Field Generator from your end once it's ready to test."

Naruto raised an inquisitive eyebrow and wondered how his redheaded friend was doing. As far as he knew she was a professor doing post graduate work at the Vulcan Science Academy now.

….

Within the hour, Doctor Alison Fairbanks beamed over and was greeted by Asuma Sarutobi. He looked at the petite redhead and found her very attractive. "Welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Darwin_ Doctor Fairbanks; I'm Commander Asuma Sarutobi, the ship's Executive Officer."

She came down off the transporter pad and shook hands with Asuma. "I'm Alison Fairbanks, pleased to meet you Commander Sarutobi. I hope that we work well together."

….

Alison walked onto the bridge of the _U.S.S._ _Darwin_ and after being introduced to the Captain she saw Naruto there at a sensor station. The redhead rushed over and said, "Naruto!" and immediately hugged and kissed the blonde Vulcan hotly before she regained control of herself. She smiled and said, "We haven't seen each other in ages! This is wonderful! I can't imagine anyone else that could help me more on this experiment."

Mei raised her eyebrows at Doctor Fairbanks' behavior. ' _Must be an old flame or something_.' thought the Captain.

Naruto was a bit mortified that Alison had just put a liplock on him in front of everybody. (Samui and Shizuka in particular seemed _very curious_ about the redheaded scientist). Nevertheless he was very pleased to see his old friend and gave her a tiny smile. "It is good to see you Alison. You seem well."

The redhead pumped her fist and said, "I'm doing awesome now. With your input maybe….It would be better to discuss it with your ship's science staff."

Doctor Fairbanks turned to Captain Terumi and said, "Doctor Naruto could be a real game changer in this experiment Captain Terumi. He has experience with stasis fields as I do. Could he act as my liaison with your staff? His input could be crucial."

Mei wondered if the redheaded Doctor didn't simply want to get it on with the blonde Vulcan but Naruto said, "One of my Doctorates is in Astrophysics and Astrodynamics. I also have a Master's degree in Quantum Physics. Doctor Fairbanks and I worked on our Doctoral Degrees together."

Captain Terumi turned to Commander Beam and said, "Do you mind having him detached from the Science staff temporarily Commander?"

Jamie Beam grinned and said, "Actually I was hoping we could help with this experiment so if Cadet Naruto can assist then so much the better."

Mei gave her usual smile and said, "It seems that _Doctor_ Naruto will be assisting you then Doctor Fairbanks."

"Excellent!" said Alison. She pulled a small memory module out of her long coat and asked, "Do you have a room I can brief the Science staff on this experiment?"

Mei turned to Asuma and said. "Sit in on this Commander Sarutobi. Please feel free to use the Staff Meeting Room Doctor Fairbanks."

….

A few minutes later Allison Fairbanks was standing at the head of the table in front of the Science staff along with Asuma Sarutobi and Naruto M'Fau. She said, "In short the mobile Stasis Field Generator is something that has been developed over the past several years and its purpose is to literally stop time around an object. Starfleet has taken an interest in its development because the Klingon Empire is developing something similar."

Commander Jamie Beam said, "While I could see a stasis field having uses in scientific circles such as long term storage I fail to see why Starfleet or the Klingon Empire would have any interest in such a device or having it mobile."

Naruto made a hand motion and said, "Starfleet and the Klingon Empire are interested in the applications of a stasis field as a _weapon_ Lieutenant Commander Beam. Such a device could be used to pin a particularly dangerous opponent so several friendly units could move into position to amass a concentrated amount of fire against it. Another tactic I can think of would be to protect a friendly ship in a disadvantageous situation such as a massed drone attack. In either case a single ship in a fleet equipped with such a device could radically alter a tactical situation in short order."

Asuma grinned. "An excellent analysis. That makes perfect sense Cadet Naruto."

Naruto nodded and Alison looked disgusted. "That's exactly right Doctor Naruto. This device was funded primarily because the _military_ backed it."

"Doctor Fairbanks, are we or the Klingons ahead in the development of a Stasis Field Generator?" asked Commander Sarutobi.

Alison said, "I'm not privy to the details of Starfleet Intelligence but I would guess the Klingons are winning the race because of the rushed and haphazard way this experiment is being conducted." She turned on the projector showing the device being projected aft out of the shuttle bay of the _U.S.S. Byrd_ and 'freezing' a small freighter in time while the _U.S.S Darwin_ observed with its special sensors and extra equipment. A series of mathematical figures scrolled down the side of the screen as the demonstration video played.

Naruto's eyebrow raised and he said, "Doctor Fairbanks, given the estimated power usage of the device and the probability of the space time field collapsing the Stasis Field Generator's possibility of success is extremely low."

Allison gave a brittle smile and said, "My personal estimates give the probability of it working as seven percent."

Asuma said in shock, "If that's the case Doctor then why are we even testing it?"

Doctor Fairbanks sighed. "The first reason is I am in the minority in my beliefs about the reliability of the device. The second is the military wants it and won't listen to me or any other dissenters."

"This isn't good." said Lieutenant Commander Beam.

Asuma looked a bit incredulous and said, "You mean to tell me that Cadet Naruto concluded it wouldn't work within mere minutes of seeing your presentation and the Doctors aboard the _U.S.S. Byrd_ have seen the same facts and figures and still disagree?"

"I believe that given a few more years a viable Stasis Field Generator _could_ be developed." said Alison. "It's too early for this type of testing but the powers that be are forcing it through regardless. They are in a race with the Klingons. It's the old concept that _'If they have it then we must have it too_.' I've already protested this test since its inception but they refuse to listen. I believe it's safe to say that Doctor Naruto agrees with me."

Naruto was looking over the figures in detail and said, "At a cursory examination the power costs would be so enormous that…." he turned to Alison and said, "The power coursing through that device could cause extreme damage to the _U.S.S. Byrd_ if there is any feedback or shock damage. It is completely illogical to conduct this experiment."

"I know Naruto." said Allison grimly. "I insisted that if certain parameters were exceeded that the Stasis Field Generator would be ejected into space so the ship carrying it will be safe..."

….

 _Personal Log of Asuma Sarutobi: Stardate 2273.073. I've learned a few things in my years and one of them is **don't** argue logic with a Vulcan. Another is to go with my gut reaction. I honestly don't know Cadet Naruto that well but I do know he's a genius with two Doctorates and part of the  Think Tank. Hell, according to Chief Engineer Sassaav he's the reason the U.S.S. Darwin is so damn fast. Naruto developed the warp theory behind it. Regardless I watched him carefully at the meeting as he looked over the math behind the Stasis Field Generator and he said independently of anyone else that it would fail. Then he said conducting the experiment was illogical. After that Doctor Fairbanks said she'd come to that conclusion herself. _

_I felt we should put the brakes on this project and spoke to Captain Terumi about it. She looked into it and said that ultimately it was Captain Peter's call and all the astrophysicists aboard said it would work and was perfectly safe. Captain Terumi then told me the reason that Doctor Fairbanks was aboard the Darwin was because the other quantum physicists didn't want to hear her negativity about the project and because she 'Didn't want to be on the U.S.S. Byrd when it blew up.' I'm no mathematician but I have a really bad feeling about all of this_….

….

 **Stardate 2273.075, 40 Eridani A System**

The arguments that Doctor Allison Fairbanks and Doctor Naruto M'Fau had against the experiment ultimately failed but they did win one valuable concession. The testing of the device would be far from Vulcan's orbit in case something went wrong. Naruto and Alison actually went to see Director Sekla of the Vulcan Science Academy to make sure the Planet Vulcan was kept safe from any potential fallout damage….

….

Finally, the experiment was ready. The _U.S.S Byrd_ was on the viewscreen along with an unmanned freighter aft of her moving at impulse speed. All of the sensors on the _Darwin_ were fine tuned to the experiment and the two ships were in audio contact. "This is Chief Science Officer Jamie Beam of the _U.S.S. Darwin_. All sensors are locked. We are ready when you are _Byrd_." said Commander Beam.

They were contacted by the _U.S.S. Byrd's_ Chief Science Officer. " _Science Officer Jillian Conway to Darwin. We are stating in t-minus twenty seconds….20….10….6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Execute!_"

A shimmering field shot out of the open shuttle bay of _U.S.S. Byrd_ which enveloped the freighter in a sphere a transparent energy that almost looked like a soap bubble. " _Stasis field success!_ " cheered Conway over the communicator.

The crew of the _Darwin_ was too busy recording data to really cheer about it but one of the sensor techs at Sensor one said, "The bubble is deforming at 9 seconds after activation."

"Sensor two, what's the power capacity of the _Byrd_ being used currently?" asked Alison.

A technician at Sensor two said, " _U.S.S. Byrd_ is currently using 15% of her power to keep the stasis field active."

Sensor one called out, "The field is faltering!"

"The _Byrd_ is using 30% of her power now and climbing." said Sensor two.

Alison grumbled and said, "Sensor three, give me a report on the Stasis Field Generator device."

"The Stasis Field Generator is fluctuating +/- 10%" Doctor Fairbanks." replied Sensor three.

Sensor two reported, " _U.S.S. Byrd_ is using 45% of her power to maintain the field."

"The field has lost the freighter due to the field's integrity collapsing." said Sensor one.

" _U.S.S. Byrd_ is now using 60% of her power capacity." added Sensor two

Sensor three stated, "Stasis Field Generator is fluctuation +/- 35%"

"The field has completely collapsed." reported Sensor one.

Alison grimaced and said, "Shut it down."

Jamie Beam got on the communicator and said, " _U.S.S. Byrd_ ; the Stasis Field has collapsed. Shut down the generator."

Sensor two warned, " _Byrd_ is using 75% of her power capacity!"

"Fluctuations in the device have exceeded +/- 55%!" warned Sensor three.

" ** _EJECT DEVICE!_** " yelled Alison over the communicator.

An object the size of two heavy shuttles fired out of the _U.S.S. Byrd's_ shuttle bay before it detonated like a miniature sun several kilometers aft of the ship.

"The Stasis Field Generator device was ejected safely." sighed the technician at Sensor three. "The device is totally destroyed."

"It's times like these that I hate being right." said Alison. "That probably set the program back five to ten years."

Chief Science Officer Beam was in contact with the _U.S.S. Byrd_. "This is Commander Beam on the _U.S.S Darwin_ , are you intact over there _Byrd?_ "

" _This is Conway on the U.S.S. Byrd. We're shaken up but undamaged_." said the _Byrd's_ Chief Science Officer over the communicator. " _Looks like it's back to the drawing board for this project_."

….

Alison was soon talking to Naruto as they looked over the minimal data they were able to use while the stasis field was actually functioning correctly (which was all of nine seconds). Naruto looked at the sensor data and said, "The Stasis Field Generator device itself started to fluctuate at seven seconds Alison. Had they done any testing with that device previously?"

The redhead shook her head and said, "It was scaled up from a one eighth sized prototype that was far from perfect. Instead of testing a quarter or half sized model on the ground and working all of the problems out they jumped straight to a full sized model that was mobile in the sense it could be mounted in a starship. I told them time and again to wait and test things properly but they all had the fever to get the program rolling. Haste makes waste. Now they are almost back at zero. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Starfleet decides to cut their losses and drops the program."

Naruto said, "There will probably be an investigation by Starfleet into how the program was managed."

Alison nodded. "Luckily I was just a consultant so I should be scot free as far as repercussions are concerned." She pondered for a moment and asked, "So what have you been doing the last year and a half? Are you and T'Lyra still together?"

The blonde Vulcan said, "T'Lyra and I are bonded as you know. She's aboard the _Darwin_ as well."

The green eyed human girl looked a little down and said, "I've missed you Naruto. The Vulcan Science Academy isn't the same without you around." _'I wish I was T'Lyra_.'

Naruto gave a minimal smile and said, "I miss the Academy as well. I was originally going to stay on as a Professor but ended up joining Starfleet instead. Space is….interesting so far. I think when I retire that I'll come back and teach at the Vulcan Science Academy at least as a guest speaker like my Mother."

"I never thought about joining Starfleet except as a consultant." said Alison. "I doubt I'd ever fit into the military you know. I'm too rebellious."

"What about Geoff Baker and Senva?" asked Naruto. "I know Senva wanted to practice in the medical field."

Alison chuckled and answered, "Geoff fell in love and got married to a Terran girl. They have a baby on the way. He never got his Doctorate but he did graduate with his Masters. Senva is working for a pharmaceutical outfit developing new medicines in Vulcana Regar."

' _A pharmaceutical company_ ….' thought the blonde. ' _I wonder if they would be worth investing in_ ….'

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Warrigul: Kiba's clan had the name Warrigul because of their dog like qualities. Warriguls were predatory reptilian quadrupeds found in Romulan space and kept as pets by both Klingons and Romulans. They somewhat resembled Terran dogs or Vulcan le-matyas.

*② Targ: Targs were foraging animals native to Qo'noS which somewhat resembled Terran boars with spikes on their backs. The Klingons enjoyed hunting wild targs but also maintained agricultural herds for consumption and commonly kept targs as pets.

*③ Selsseress: The Selsseress were an amphibious species native to the planet H'atoria in the Beta Quadrant. Barely sentient, they could only thrive in places of high humidity, so they mostly lived near the planet's many oceans.

*④ The bat'leth, or "sword of honor", is a traditional Klingon bladed weapon. While Klingons often carry disruptors, they prefer to use bladed weapons in combat, with the most common one being the bat'leth. The weapon is described as a curved, bilateral sword that can decapitate its victim with one stroke.

*⑤ The d'k tahg is the traditional Klingon warrior's knife. It consisted of a single, straight-edged primary blade and two curved secondary blades, which could be either fixed or hinged. It was commonly used in hand-to-hand combat, and has great ceremonial value in Klingon culture. The handle features a rounded, spiked pommel and sometimes bears an emblem representing the members of its owner's house near the hilt of the blade.

*⑥ _Kahless the Unforgettable_ was a legendary mytho-historical Klingon figure. He was the first Warrior King and Emperor of the Klingon Empire, known as the "greatest warrior of them all."

 _*_ _⑦_ Gre'thor is the Klingon equivalent to the Terran "Hell." It was where the souls of the dishonored go when they die.

*⑧ Bloodwine is a popular alcoholic beverage among the Klingons, best served warm. As with many Klingon foods and beverages, it is not for the faint of heart.

*⑨ Remember her? She's Naruto's old friend from the Vulcan Science Academy who specializes in Astrophysics and Quantum Theory.

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, lots of footnotes this time. I got a copy of the Klingon Dictionary for the occasion but I'm not going to be using a lot of Klingon phrases aside of cultural references. As many people requested, the Inuzukas are Klingons. I'm in no position to argue. I thought the same thing from the outset; it's a perfect fit for them. I decided to tag a little humor in with the Warrigul Clan. The dynamics between Kiba, Tsume and Hana always amused me so I decided to do the Klingon version of their family bonding. Poor Kiba….See you next time. Blue out. 2/4/18


	31. Chapter 31 (Character Extract)

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Several people requested this so here goes. This chapter is an extract of short Character bios. It turned out a lot more extensive than I planned. Here is chapter 31. Enjoy!

….

 **Characters: this list is not complete as not all the Think Tank Cadets have names yet. They are marked with * There is also a ton of background characters not listed:**

 ** _The Think Tank_**

 _Command_

M'rella: Female Caitian Cadet in the Command track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Communications Tech. Has Doctoral degree in Communication Sciences and a Masters in Languages.

Naruto M'Fau: Male Vulcan/Shinobi hybrid Cadet in the Command track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Sensor Tech. Has Doctoral Degrees in both Astrodynamics and Genetics. Master at both V'Shan and Kareel-ifla.

Rafi: Female Trill Cadet in the Command track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Helmsman. Has a Doctoral Degree in Astronavigation. An extremely skilled Helmsman.

Samui Schrodinger: Female Augmented Human Cadet in the Command track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Navigator. Has Doctoral Degrees in both Cosmology and Astronomy. Has an 8th Level Blackbelt in Karate.

Shar: Male Andorian Cadet in the Command track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Sensor Tech. Has a Doctoral Degree in Philosophy.

 _Engineering_

Daniel Simmons: Male Human Cadet in the Engineering track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as an Engineer. Has a Doctoral Degree in Computer Sciences. Seems to be able to hack almost any system.

Kloene: Male Orion Cadet in the Engineering track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Engineer. Has a Doctoral Degree in Ship's Power and Impulse engines. Currently working on an Auxiliary Warp Reactor project.

*(Engineering)

*(Engineering)

*(Engineering)

 _Sciences_

Brisco: Male Human Cadet in the Sciences track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Lab Tech. Has great skills in the culinary arts.

Maya Ayasugi: Female Human Cadet in the Sciences track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Sensor Tech.

*(Sciences)

*(Sciences)

*(Sciences)

 _Medical_

Gregory Hammond: Human Cadet in the Medical track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Doctor.

Leatta: Female Orion Cadet in the Medical track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Medical Tech. Very flirty.

Shelly Wilson: Female Human Cadet in the Medical track/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as a Doctor. Specializes in Neurosurgery.

*(Medical)

*(Medical)

 _…._

 ** _Starfleet_**

Asuma Sarutobi: Male Human Commander in the UFP Starfleet /Age:30's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's First Officer.

Brea Mathiun: Female Human Crewman 1st Class in the UFP Starfleet /Age:19/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ in Engineering. T'Lyra Tolaris' best friend.

Harold Pye: Male Human Rear Admiral in the UFP Starfleet/Age:70's/Currently Commandant of the Starfleet Academy.

Ino Yamanaka: Female Betazoid Cadet in the UFP Starfleet/Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as acting Counselor.

Mei Terumi: Female Human Captain in the UFP Starfleet /Age:30's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Commanding Officer.

Hiro Suzuki: Male Human Captain in the UFP Starfleet/Age:50's/Currently with the Starfleet Bureau of Design & Repair.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: Male Human Admiral in the UFP Starfleet/Age:60's/Currently in Command of Starbase 10.

Jamie Beam: Female Human Lieutenant Commander in the UFP Starfleet /Age:30's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Chief Sciences Officer.

Jonathon Walker: Male Human Lieutenant Commander in the UFP Starfleet /Age:60's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Chief Medical Officer.

Karatek: Female Vulcan Lieutenant Junior Grade in the UFP Starfleet /Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Navigator

Karina Edwards: Female Human Lieutenant in the UFP Starfleet /Age:50's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Chief Communications Officer

Lucian Tolm: Male Human Rear Admiral in the UFP Starfleet/Age:70's/Currently with the Starfleet Bureau of Design & Repair.

Sassaav: Male Andorian Lieutenant Commander in the UFP Starfleet /Age:40's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Chief Engineering Officer. Short tempered.

Sheila Tristan: Female Human Rear Admiral in the UFP Starfleet/Age:70's/Currently in Command of Saturn Station One. An old friend of T'Ara M'Fau.

Shikamaru Nara: Male Human Ensign in the UFP Starfleet /Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Geneticist. Has a Doctoral Degree in both Gentics and Law. An old friend of Naruto's from the Vulcan Science Academy.

Shizuka Nadeshiko: Female Vulcan Lieutenant in the UFP Starfleet /Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Chief of Security. Was raised by humans and acts accordingly. Cousin to T'Lyra Toliris. Birth name: S'Loran Tolaris.

Thomas Abraham: Male Human Lieutenant Junior Grade in the UFP Starfleet /Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as the Ship's Helmsman. A womanizer. Graduated at the bottom of his class.

Tower: Male Human Commander in Section 31 Agent/Age:50's/Unknown background.

Vach M'Fau: Female Vulcan Captain in the UFP Starfleet/Age:60's/Currently with the Starfleet Bureau of Design & Repair. Naruto's Maternal Great Aunt.

….

 ** _Planet Vulcan_**

Alison Fairbanks: Female Human Civilian/Age:20/Naruto's friend from the Vulcan Science Academy. Has a Doctoral Degree in Quantum Physics and Astrophysics. Currently a lecturer and consultant at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Aloran: Male Vulcan Civilian/Age:40's/ Naruto's former Martial Arts Master at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Anuak Tolaris: Female Vulcan Civilian/Age: 40's/T'Lyra's Mother. A bit obsessed with the Royal Lineage of the Tolaris Clan.

Arev: Male Vulcan Civilian/Age:19/Childhood rival of Naruto's and former betrothed to T'Lyra. An emotionalist who hates Naruto with a passion.

Falor Tolaris: Male Vulcan Civilian/Age:40's/T'Lyra's Father.

Geoff Baker: Male Human Civilian/Age:20's/Naruto's friend from the Vulcan Science Academy. Has a Master's Degree in Genetics and Xenobiology. Currently lives on Earth with his wife.

Iria: Female Vulcan Civilian/Age:60's/ Naruto's former Astrophysics Professor at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Kesh: Male Vulcan civilian/Age:19/Childhood friend of Naruto and T'Lyra. Accident prone.

Metana M'fau: Female Vulcan Civilian/Age:20s/Naruto's Cousin. Works for M'Fau Banking & Investment Firm in Vulcana Regar. She is Naruto's Financial Advisor.

Sarissa M'Fau: Female Vulcan Civilian/Age:60's/Naruto's Maternal Grandmother. A pacifist.

Sekla: Male Vulcan Civilian/Age:100's/Director of the Vulcan Science Academy.

Senva Tolek: Female Vulcan Civilian/Age:20s/Naruto's friend from the Vulcan Science Academy. Has a Doctoral Degree in Xenobiology. Currently developing pharmaceuticals.

Sovar M'Fau: Male Vulcan Civilian/Age:40's/Naruto's Father. A spiritualist and martial artist. Teaches at the Vulcan Institute for Martial Arts. A high Ranking Master of Kareel-ifla.

T'Ara M'Fau: Female Vulcan Lieutenant Commander in the UFP Starfleet/Age:40's/Currently a Reservist is the Sciences branch. Has a Doctoral Degree in Quantum Physics. Currently a part time lecturer at the Vulcan Science Academy. A Master of V'shan.

T'Lyra Tolaris: Female Vulcan Enlisted Crewmember in the UFP Starfleet/Age:19/Currently assigned to _U.S.S. Darwin_ as an Engineer's mate. Naruto's Betrothed. Very talented in Engineering and music.

Talok M'Fau: Female Vulcan civilian/Age:11/Naruto's younger sister. Has great potential in V'Shan and as a dancer.

Varek M'Fau: Female Vulcan civilian/Age:60s/Naruto's Paternal Grandmother. Has a strained relationship with Naruto.

Zerin M'Fau: Female Vulcan civilian/Age:20s/Naruto's Artist Cousin. Very eccentric.

….

 ** _Romulans_**

Anko: Female Romulan Major in the Tal Shiar/Age:20's/Currently assigned to _RIS Scimitar_ as a Special Agent. Formerly an infiltrator of the UFP Starfleet.

Kurenai: Female Romulan Subcommander in the Romulan Imperial Navy/Age:20's/ Currently assigned to _RIS Scimitar_ as the Ship's Commanding Officer.

Vandus: Male Romulan Centurion in the Romulan Imperial Navy/Age:50's/ Currently assigned to _RIS Scimitar_ as the Ship's First Officer.

 _…._

 ** _Klingons_**

Hana Warrigul: Female Klingon Lieutenant Commander in the Imperial Klingon Deep Space Fleet/Age:20's/Currently Assigned to the _IKV Dawnslayer_ as the Ship's Chief Medical Officer.

Kiba Warrigul: Male Klingon Ensign in the Imperial Klingon Deep Space Fleet/Age:20's/Currently Assigned to the _IKV Dawnslayer_ as the Ship's Helmsman.

Tsume Warrigul: Female Klingon Commodore in the Imperial Klingon Deep Space Fleet/Age:40's/Currently Assigned to the _IKV Dawnslayer_ as the Ship's Commanding Officer.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

If anyone believes there is a character I should add or have forgotten just PM me or send it to me in a review. I skipped several characters because I doubt they will be reappearing. Next time we'll resume the story. Blue Out. 2/9/18


	32. Chapter 32

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Now back to your regularly scheduled story. Just a note to prevent confusion: Shizuka Nadeshiko will often be referred to by her birth name of S'Loren Tolaris in this chapter. It will depend on the speaker. Here is chapter 32. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _Alison was soon talking to Naruto as they looked over the minimal data they were able to use while the stasis field was actually functioning correctly (which was all of nine seconds). Naruto looked at the sensor data and said, "The Stasis Field Generator device itself started to fluctuate at seven seconds Alison. Had they done any testing with that device previously?"_

 _The redhead shook her head and said, "It was scaled up from a one eighth sized prototype that was far from perfect. Instead of testing a quarter or half sized model on the ground and working all of the problems out they jumped straight to a full sized model that was mobile in the sense it could be mounted in a starship. I told them time and again to wait and test things properly but they all had the fever to get the program rolling. Haste makes waste. Now they are almost back at zero. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Starfleet decides to cut their losses and drops the program."_

 _Naruto said, "There will probably be an investigation by Starfleet into how the program was managed."_

 _Alison nodded. "Luckily I was just a consultant so I should be scot free as far as repercussions are concerned." She pondered for a moment and asked, "So what have you been doing the last year and a half? Are you and T'Lyra still together?"_

 _The blonde Vulcan said, "T'Lyra and I are bonded as you know. She's aboard the_ _Darwin_ _as well."_

 _The green eyed human girl looked a little down and said, "I've missed you Naruto. The Vulcan Science Academy isn't the same without you around." '_ _I wish I was T'Lyra_ _.'_

 _Naruto gave a minimal smile and said, "I miss the Academy as well. I was originally going to stay on as a Professor but ended up joining Starfleet instead. Space is….interesting so far. I think when I retire that I'll come back and teach at the Vulcan Science Academy at least as a guest speaker like my Mother."_

 _"I never thought about joining Starfleet except as a consultant." said Alison. "I doubt I'd ever fit into the military you know. I'm too rebellious."_

 _"What about Geoff Baker and Senva?" asked Naruto. "I know Senva wanted to practice in the medical field."_

 _Alison chuckled and answered, "Geoff fell in love and got married to an Earth girl. They have a baby on the way. He never got his Doctorate but he did get his Masters. Senva is working for a pharmaceutical outfit developing new medicines in Vulcana Regar._

 _'_ _A pharmaceutical company…._ _' thought the blonde. '_ _I wonder if they would be worth investing in…._ _'_

 _…._

Chapter 32

 **Stardate 2273.075, 40 Eridani A System, Planet Vulcan orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.075: Captain Mei Terumi reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _is in the process of unloading the specialized equipment from the failed Stasis Field Generator Test. Starfleet has already begun an investigation which the_ _Darwin_ _is thankfully not that involved in. Doctor Allison Fairbanks and Doctor Naruto filed reports in advance of the testing saying it would not work and they are not being investigated unlike the other scientists. Nevertheless_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _and_ _U.S.S. Byrd_ _are to remain at Vulcan pending the investigation. In the meantime I've arranged for shore leave rather than keeping the crew bottled up for the next few days…._

….

 **City of ShiKhar, Vulcan Science Academy**

Naruto was touring his old alma mater with Allison, T'Lyra and Shizuka. The hot wind and heavy gravity felt good to Naruto and T'Lyra having been away so long but Shizuka was very surprised. She thought, ' _It isn't that I can't handle it but now I know why they say '_ _ **hot as Vulcan**_ _' in the fleet_.'

"The scent of the desert is so soothing." said T'Lyra. "It has been too long."

The blonde nodded in agreement and said. "I see the Vulcan Science Academy is thriving with activity as always."

Naruto's former Astrophysics Professor Iria saw the shock of Naruto's spiky blonde hair and she said, "Naruto M'Fau. It has been some time. You look well."

Alison grinned and Naruto bowed. Naruto said, "Professor Iria, it is good to see you again."

Iria was obviously pleased. She looked at them and said, "Alison Fairbanks and Naruto M'Fau; two of my brightest and most talented pupils. It always evokes a sense of satisfaction seeing my former graduate students doing well."

Naruto introduced T'Lyra and Shizuka to Professor Iria and they started discussing the failed Stasis Field Generator test.

"It is fortunate the two of you insisted on conducting the testing at a distance from the planet." said Iria. "As I understand it from Director Sekla there would have been possible fallout damage here otherwise. I am about to lecture on the tenants of early Vulcan warp fields and how they evolved over the centuries. I would be honored if you and your guests would sit in."

Allison smiled and said, "I would be delighted."

Naruto nodded and said, "I would be pleased if it is alright with T'Lyra and the Lieutenant.

Shizuka said, "Just call me Shizuka off duty Naruto. As for the lecture; sure, why not?"

T'Lyra had an amused gleam in her eye and said, "This will be a good opportunity for us to observe. Of course we will sit in."

….

Two hours later the class was dismissed and Professor Iria was very pleased. Several students asked questions of both Alison and Naruto regarding lecture and were fascinated by Naruto's Curved Transitional Warp Theorem. Many saw it as opening a new phase of warp powered vessels. Professor Iria did as well.

T'Lyra half followed the lecture having been involved in actual warp core construction and knew the components involved.

….And poor Shizuka was totally lost. She had swirls in her eyes as they came out of the lecture hall.

"This has been rather enlightening." said Alison as she nudged Naruto. "It just shows how much we've grown since we graduated."

"I agree." said Naruto. "It is invigorating being able to answer the questions of others rather than having to ask them ourselves."

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto knocked on the front door of his house. He'd called in advance and found his Mother was home. T'Ara opened the door and was very pleased to see her son in such good health. She gently placed a hand on his cheek and said, "Naruto, you have been missed. You look well." T'Ara turned to T'Lyra and said, "My daughter in law; it is so good to see you. I see you've brought Miss Fairbanks and…?"

"Ah, I'm Shizuka Nadeshiko." said the security chief. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm T'Lyra's cousin."

"So you are S'Loran." said T'Ara knowingly. "Please come in all of you and we can have some tea."

"Thank you for inviting us into your home." chimed Allison and T'Lyra.

Shizuka said, "Yes, thank you." after she was nudged by T'Lyra. "Forgive me for not knowing your customs." added the security chief.

T'Ara said, "Think nothing of it, your circumstances are known to me. Do you prefer to be called Shizuka or S'Loran? I'm sure your Aunt Anuak will call you S'Loren exclusively."

Shizuka looked at T'Lyra who nodded supportively and the human raised girl said, "I'm still barely able to pronounce S'Loran so I'd prefer Shizuka if you don't mind."

"Then Shizuka it is." said T'Ara.

The five sat down together and had some spiced tea. Shizuka found that T'Ara put her at ease due to her background in Starfleet. "So you are a Security Chief on the _U.S.S. Darwin_." T'Ara said to Shizuka. "My last assignment was Chief Science Officer aboard the _U.S.S. Republic_. That was nearly twenty years ago now though I'm still a reservist."

Talok got home soon and happily exchanged greetings with Naruto and T'Lyra. She greeted Allison as well since the redhead was a friend of the family. Talok was also introduced to Shizuka. Naruto's little sister found the concept of a Vulcan raised by humans rather fascinating. She said to Shizuka, "You have an entire new culture to learn about. I believe you will find the planet Vulcan to be enriching. I hope you enjoy your stay."

' _Naruto's family is really nice_.' thought Shizuka. ' _I was afraid that they would immediately start me on logic lessons_.'

….

Sovar soon made it home and exchanged greetings with everyone. He said to Shizuka, "It seems to me that your body type is suited to Ponn-ifla much like T'Lyra. I can instruct you a bit if you so desire. Naruto is well versed in Ponn-ifla as well even though he rarely uses it. T'Lyra is a fifth level adept so I'm sure she could teach you the basics." Naruto's Father got a gleam in his eye and said, "Perhaps tomorrow we can have a match Naruto. I believe that you look stronger than last time we saw one another. You are invited as well Shizuka."

Naruto said eagerly, "I'll look forward to it. I wonder if Samui would enjoy learning a few moves as well."

"Who might Samui be?" asked Sovar.

"Samui Schrodinger is a friend of mine that I spar with often. She is very talented in the Terran martial arts though she is best at karate."

"Then by all means invite her." said Sovar. "Perhaps I will be able to learn from your friend."

"Given you are a Sixth Level Kareel-ifla Master I don't know how much you'll learn with karate." said Naruto.

T'Lyra said, "Your Father just graduated to the Seventh Level of Mastery Naruto." Her pride in Sovar's accomplishment really showed.

Naruto got a gleam in his eye and said, "Well done Father. I'll have to put out some extra effort tomorrow since I'm only Fourth Level in Mastery."

….

 **Anuak and Falor Tolaris' house**

Later T'Lyra and Shizuka went over to see T'Lyra's parents. Initially Naruto was going to come but T'Lyra indicated it might be better to bring Shizuka alone. Shizuka was feeling a bit nervous about meeting her in laws and didn't want to embarrass herself (or T'Lyra).

The younger cousin said, "Shizuka, I will be addressing you as S'Loran in front of Mother. I'm sure she will insist on using your birth name."

Shizuka nodded and said, "Well, I guess it is my real name so it's appropriate."

T'Lyra replied, "No, my mother is just stubborn."

Anuak answered the door at T'Lyra's knock and eagerly welcomed her daughter and niece. "So you are Ivek and Shath's daughter. You are a beautiful girl S'Loran. You are the very image of my older sister Shath."

"Thank you." said Shizuka. ' _She seems nice enough. T'Lyra said earlier Aunt Anuak was a bit eccentric and makes terrible tea_.'

"But why are you wearing a Starfleet uniform?" asked Anuak. "Surely a daughter of the Honorable Blue Dynasty should be wearing traditional blue robes."

T'Lyra interjected, "S'Loran hasn't had time to get traditional robes Mother. She's never been to Vulcan before."

"This won't do. We must rectify this immediately." said Anuak. "Let us go to the clothier's in the city posthaste. Let me get my things and we'll go."

Shizuka looked around the front room after Anuak left to get her things and whispered to T'Lyra, "When you said the house was blue you weren't kidding. _All_ of the décor is blue."

"Mother is quite fixated on the blue color of the royal house." whispered T'Lyra with a sigh. "My favorite color was always blue fortunately for all concerned."

….

 **City of ShiKhar, Old Quarter**

Shizuka was looking around at all the many sights and sounds of the Old Quarter. Anuak was focused on clothes but T'Lyra was pleased that Shizuka was interested in Vulcan. She pointed to a large complex. "That's the T'Plana-Hath Historical Museum S'Loran." said T'Lyra. "It is something like Earth's Smithsonian Institution that I toured while in boot camp. Inside there are documents and artifacts going back thousands of years. It also houses the ship that made the first contact with humans on Earth over 200 years ago. North is the Multi-Cultural Mercantile District and to the south is the Interplanetary Wildlife Preserve."

Anuak said, "I still don't see the appeal of the Multi-Cultural Mercantile District. It caters to offworlders."

T'Lyra said, "That is precisely why it is so popular these days Mother. Logically with all the foreign Embassies and Starfleet Personnel living here in ShiKhar there should be a district that provides for non-natives. I think that S'Loren would enjoy seeing it."

"It seems far more logical to maintain our own culture than to invite others in to dilute it." countered Anuak.

Shizuka was quietly listening to T'Lyra and her Mother debate with each other using pure logic. ' _I don't think I've ever heard an argument like this before. It's funny and scary at the same time_.' thought the Earth raised Vulcan.

….

Soon they were browsing various clothing shops and Anuak immediately went to talk to the lady proprietor that she normally bought from. "A lost member of our clan?" asked the elderly shopkeeper (Who obviously was of the Tolaris clan as well).

"Indeed." said Anuak. "She'll need blue everyday robes and a set of formal robes for clan functions of course."

"But of course." said the shopkeeper. She turned to Shizuka and said, "I welcome you to my shop Miss; my name is Asil Tolaris; what might your name be?"

Shizuka gave her best Vulcan salute (she'd been practicing with T'Lyra) and said, "I'm S'Loran. It's nice to meet you." Then she added. "I'm afraid I was raised as a human so I don't know Vulcan etiquette."

Asil replied, "I have no doubt that you will learn proper etiquette with patience and perseverance."

"Of course." said Shizuka unsurely.

The elderly woman said, "Now let's get some measurements of you young S'Loren."

….An hour later Shizuka was wearing the traditional blue robes of the Tolaris clan and matched T'Lyra. "What a beautiful pair you make." said Anuak. "It takes me back to when Shath and I used to walk around the city together." she added fondly.

….

When they returned to the Tolaris household T'Lyra's Father Falor was coming in from the Artisan Quarter where he worked. He heard his wife talking to T'Lyra and Shizuka. "S'Loran, fighting is very unfeminine and savage. You should reconsider your chosen career path. Ah, Falor; welcome home. Please explain to S'Loran that hand to hand combat is unladylike."

Falor was a bit dumbfounded because he had yet to even be introduced to S'Loran. She was obviously the raven haired beauty that looked just like his late sister in law Shath sitting there. Falor said, "T'Lyra, welcome home. Won't you introduce me to your friend?"

T'Lyra said, "Welcome home Father, I have missed you. Let me introduce S'Loran to you properly. S'Loran, this is my Father Falor. Father, this is my cousin S'Loran. I hope you get along well.

Falor immediately welcomed Shizuka to the family and said to his wife, "I sensed that there was some sort of conflict when I came in Anuak. Is all well?"

"It seems that young S'Loran is a Security Officer in Starfleet." said Anuak. "I abhor violence and her job puts her in the midst of it."

Falor looked tired, "Perhaps we could discuss this later. I'm more interested in getting to know our niece than advising her. S'Loran is grown you know."

The verbal battle raged for hours….

Needless to say Anuak was less than thrilled that the girls were going to a match tomorrow….

….

 ** _U.S.S. Darwin_** **, Samui Schodinger's Quarters**

Samui was talking to Naruto via subspace on her viewscreen from orbit. "You want me to come down and participate in a match with you?" asked the beautiful blonde augment girl.

"My Father is a martial arts instructor and is testing me tomorrow at 09:00." explained Naruto. "I invited Lieutenant Nadeshiko and I thought you might enjoy it as well. Father said that karate is outside of his knowledge and he hopes to learn some of the basic tenets from you."

The augment girl gave a minimal smile and said, "Is your Papa as strong as you?"

Naruto tilted his head in thought and said, "Father is far stronger than I am in Karreel-ifla. He is a most worthy opponent."

"Cool. Send me your coordinates tomorrow and I'll beam down in the morning." said Samui. "I'll drag Rafi along since she loves watching that sort of thing."

"Excellent." said Naruto. "I will see you then."

After they signed off Samui smiled and said to herself, "This is going to be _so cool!_ "

….

The next morning Lieutenant Thomas Abraham saw Samui in her snug fighting gi walking along with Rafi in her civilian gear. He said, "Hello ladies; is there a match going on that I don't know about? I always enjoy watching them."

Samui managed to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I was invited to a match down on the surface. I'm going to be sparring with Naruto and others."

"Sounds like fun!" said Abraham exuberantly. "When is it?"

Rafi said, "We're going to beam down in a few minutes. It starts at 09:00."

"Well, I was getting ready to beam down myself so why don't I just join you two ladies?" said the Lieutenant eagerly. "What transporter pad are you going to be at?"

Samui said glumly, "We'll be at transporter pad three."

"Great! I'll meet you there." said Abraham.

The two Cadets meandered down to the transporter room being used for shore leave. "You know we could always beam down without him." said Rafi helpfully.

"I'd like to but Shelly is coming too." said Samui. "We need to wait for her."

Rafi chuckled. "I doubt we'll need the good Doctor Shelly Wilson to patch you up too much….maybe your opponents though."

"I don't know." said Samui as they walked into the transporter room. "Naruto said his Papa is even stronger than him."

"Damn." said Rafi with a wince.

"Damn is right." said Shelly who was waiting for them. "I packed my medical kit but maybe I should be prepared to do surgery."

"I'm here ladies; sorry for the wait." said Thomas Abraham as he came in the room a few minutes later.

Shelly turned to him and said, "You are participating Lieutenant Abraham? I may have to do an autopsy on you if you end up facing Naruto or Samui."

Lieutenant Abraham cringed and said, "I'm only _watching_ Doctor; I'm not fighting."

"Too bad…." said Shelly. ' _What an annoying guy_.'

"Oh how you wound me Doctor Wilson!" said Abraham. "It makes my heart hurt!" he added melodramatically.

Samui rolled her eyes and said, "Let's go." as she stepped on the transporter pad. Getting out her communicator she said, "Schrodinger to Naruto; come in."

" _This is Naruto M'Fau_." answered Naruto a second later. " _We're at the Vulcan Science Academy in the main sparring room. I managed to make arrangements for a ring with my old Master Aloran. He is eager to watch as well. Just beam down to my current coordinates_."

The transporter chief nodded and Samui said, "Energize."

Seconds later Samui and her party arrived in the shimmer of a transporter beam….

Naruto greeted his friends and introduced them to his family. He also wondered why Lieutenant Abraham was there….

Allison was sitting with T'Lyra, Talok and T'Ara in the small observation area normally reserved for judges and _lots_ of VSA Students were there to observe. Lieutenant Abraham was attempting to make small talk with T'Ara until she told him that she was Naruto's Mother and that she was a Lieutenant Commander. That shut down any lecherous thoughts he had….

Master Aloran generously agreed to Proctor the matches and said, "Today we will be seeing several different styles of martial arts from various places in the Federation so observe and learn."

Allison leaned over to T'Lyra and said, "Why aren't your parents here T'Lyra? I mean, Naruto is their future son in law and Shizuka is their niece."

T'Lyra wanted to groan. "My parents avoid watching any forms of violence. They were quite upset when they found out I was learning Ponn-ifla and hearing Shizuka was entering a match was even worse."

The redhead said, "That's too bad. Even I learned some basic Aikido and I'm a total wimp."

Raising an eyebrow, T'Lyra kept a straight face at Allison's self depreciating joke though she was laughing inside….

"I hate to say it but Shizuka is going to clean house." said Abraham. ' _I'll be rooting for Samui of course….Maybe I can console her when she loses_ ….'

"What leads you to believe this Mister Abraham?" asked Talok with an eyebrow raised in an identical way as her Mother T'Ara and her brother Naruto.

"Well, Lieutenant Shizuka is our Security Chief and knows several combat styles." said Abraham matter of factly. "She's just that good young lady."

"You have much to learn about combat." said T'Ara.

….

There were several lesser ranked matches before the more serious contenders began having their matches. Both Master Aloran and Naruto's Father Sovar were helping to demonstrate and correct the forms of the less skilled. The first serious bout was between Samui and Shizuka who both planned to fight Naruto and his Father in later rounds. As it turned out their bout was anything but easy for either beauty….

Master Aloran said, Samui Shrodinger and Shizuka Nadeshiko, begin!"

Samui opened up on Shizuka with a three punch combo and followed up with a foot sweep that tripped up the Security Chief. Shizuka's green eyes were wide with shock at just how strong Samui was. The blonde attempted to finish it with a heel drop but Shizuka rolled out of the way and back to her feet. Samui leapt back to avoid a spin kick that the raven haired beauty countered with. Then the Security Chief charged in with a rising kick that hit Samui in the jaw going up followed by an axe kick going down. Samui's blue eyes burned with determination and she landed a straight punch in Shizuka's jaw that dazed the green eyed beauty.

' _Just what the hell is Samui made of?_ ' wondered Shizuka. ' _Most people go down when I hit them with my double kick. Better switch to jeet kune do_.' The Security Chief switched her stance and saw Samui likewise had reassessed the situation. Though the blonde augment girl was still in a karate stance it was now the Okinawan style.

Naruto and his Father watched as the two young women pummeled each other in the heat of combat. Naruto thought to himself, ' _Samui is better bare handed but Lieutenant Nadeshiko would win if armed. It's close but Samui's endurance will win the fight_.'

….Shizuka went for a scissor kick that didn't connect and saw Samui's blue eyes flash as the beautiful blonde hit her with a roundhouse kick that knocked Shizuka out of the ring….

Naruto's Father Sovar nodded sagely as he'd come to the same conclusions as Naruto independently.

Master Aloran said, "Victor by ring out, Miss Samui Schrodinger. A superb showing; both of you."

A Vulcan Doctor was soon assessing Shizuka's injuries while Doctor Wilson was checking over Samui. "That's all for you today Samui. Doctors orders."

Samui looked down and said, "So uncool. I wanted to take on Naruto and his Papa."

….Shizuka was in disbelief that Samui Schrodinger was so tough. ' _I felt like I was kicking granite. Samui is my friend but I had no idea she had that kind of power. Here I wanted to show off for Naruto too_ ….' Shizuka blushed slightly realizing what she just thought.

The Vulcan Doctor said, "You've exerted your body enough for one day Miss Nadeshiko. You should sit the rest of the matches out."

The Security Chief nodded and said, "I understand Doctor, I'll rest as you've recommended." ' _I'm exhausted anyway_.'

….

Several matches took place between students who were invited to participate. In spite of the skill shown the raw power and tension of the earlier bout between Samui and Shizuka overshadowed them though.

"Whoa this is intense!" said Thomas Abraham. "I expected it to be boring but Vulcan Martial Arts are really something."

"If you thought it was going to be boring then why did you come?" asked Rafi in disbelief.

Thomas said, "….Ummm, the girl fights?"

Rafi sweat dropped at the sexist comment.

"Perhaps you should consider entering if you want to see how female Vulcans fight." said T'Ara. "It might be enlightening for one such as yourself." The truth was Naruto's Mother was looking forward to Thomas Abraham getting his ass kicked.

Seeing a competitor get knocked out of the ring by a particularly effective V'Shan strike, Abraham said, "I'd best stay out of the fights. I'm not _that_ good."

Alison hummed and said, "I dare say you're _afraid_ Mister Abraham. I guess I can't blame you because Naruto's little sister Talok here could mow you down given her talent with V'Shan."

Talok was ready to go for it but her Mother said, "You are an _Adept_ Talok, not a Master yet."

Naruto's little sister deflated a bit and thought, ' _I would like to show my skills too_.'

….

Sovar and his son Naruto finally were ready. The power in the air was just right and they both felt it. Sovar had spent most of the morning instructing the many student participants to help improve their skills along with Master Aloran. Naruto had been observing the fights with great scrutiny and generally was impressed by what he'd seen for what was an impromptu competition.

Naruto stepped into the ring amidst the loudest silence he'd heard in a long time. Chakra crackled in his eyes. "I am ready." he said in a steely tone. The truth was he was incredibly excited to see what his Father could do now.

Likewise Sovar entered the ring and said, "Use any style you want. I will be using strictly Kareel-ifla."

Master Aloran felt the massive killing intent coming off the Father-son pair and thought, ' _This match will be titanic_.' Then he called out, "Begin!"

Naruto stood stock still in his opening stance before he exploded into action in a blur using his own Kareel-Ifla. He hit Sovar twice which knocked Sovar back. On the third strike Sovar grabbed his son's arm in a blur and flipped the blonde effortlessly into the mat. Unfazed, Naruto rolled his body upright to trip up his Father with a brutal foot sweep that caused Sovar to spin but the elder flipped backwards to avoid Naruto's follow up.

Sovar took the offense and tried to ram Naruto out of the ring. The blonde caught his Father in a grappling move and picked up Sovar before throwing him into the ground that made Sovar bounce on impact. Somehow the elder used the bounce to jump back to his feet. Naruto was dumbfounded and fell into an iron defense….And not a second too soon. Sovar was raining down destruction on Naruto but somehow Naruto weathered it all and backhanded Sovar across the ring. Both fighters stared at each other for a second before they both charged.

Naruto thought, ' _Father is incredible. He isn't slowing down at all_.' The blonde briefly considered changing styles but decided to stick with Kareel-ifla to test both himself and his Father.

As they rapidly traded blows Sovar felt his son's power growing as they fought. ' _That's it Naruto. You've grown to the Fifth level. You are finally showing the patience necessary for it_.' Seeing an opening; Sovar snap kicked his son back at the same Naruto landed a colossal open palm that sent his Father flying. Sovar landed on his back just inside the ring but Naruto was knocked out of the opposite side of the ring….

"Winner by ring out, Sovar M'Fau." said Master Aloran. "A masterful display of Kareel-ifla by both fighters."

The crowd clapped politely as both fighters rose from their prone positions and bowed to one another. "Father, I am amazed at how much stronger you've become." said Naruto in quiet awe.

"You've achieved the Fifth Level of Mastery Naruto." said Sovar proudly. "We should go to the Vulcan Institute for the Martial Arts and get you certified."

Once both Father and son were checked over by the medics, there were several other matches but Sovar and Naruto were too tired to continue and just watched the rest of the matches in quiet contemplation….

….

Master Aloran closed the matches with a small closing speech before he came over to Naruto and Sovar. "You both are truly exceptional. Naruto, it is amazing to see how you have grown since I taught you."

"Thank you Master Aloran." replied Naruto. "Father pushed me to new limits today."

Sovar beamed at his son. "As a matter of course you'll be judged by a panel but I have no doubt you'll achieve the Fifth Rank of Mastery. If you still are on leave we can do that this week."

The blonde nodded. "I would be honored." He took a sip of water. "It is exhilarating to cut loose once in a while."

Samui came up and said, "That was really something Naruto. I was hoping to fight you and your Papa today but wore myself out fighting Shizuka."

T'Lyra sat down beside her betrothed and crossed fingers with him. She gave him a tiny smile feeling his elation at pushing himself that hard. "Are you both alright Naruto? You and Father Sovar were really going at it."

"I can't speak for Father but I am exhausted." said Naruto. "Aside of that I'll be fine in a few hours." He saw Lieutenant Abraham standing there staring and asked, "May I help you Lieutenant?"

Thomas Abraham was totally floored. "I've never seen anyone fight like that before Naruto. You and your Dad just blew me away. I just assumed Chief Shizuka would waste everybody. I guess I was mistaken."

Shizuka came over and saw the others gathered around Naruto and Sovar. Naruto's Father was talking with his wife and daughter but Naruto was busily talking to T'Lyra and his friends. Shizuka said to Naruto, "You are really amazing Naruto. I had no idea you could fight like that."

Alison laughed and said, "You should have seen Naruto fight in the freestyle championships a few years ago. _That_ was a fight. This was exciting but not on that level."

"There were also thousands of spectators." said T'Lyra. "The pressure was very intense."

….

Naruto and the others were in a celebratory mood and went to the Old Quarter to eat at T'Lyra's favorite restaurant. Shizuka, Samui and Rafi hadn't ever had genuine Vulcan cuisine before and had a difficult time deciding what to eat. Alison was helpful at recommending things on the menu since she'd become acclimated to Vulcan foods. Samui and Shizuka had a particularly hard time since they were _anything_ but vegetarians. They also learned quickly that you **_don't_** touch your food with your hands on Vulcan.

' _Gee, I'm used to eating barbeque ribs with my bare hands_.' thought Shizuka. ' _This is a bigger culture shock than the blue robes and Aunt Anuak_.'

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

T'Lyra and Naruto were fast asleep in each other's arms when the blonde started stirring in his sleep. T'Lyra woke up and sensed a foreign telepathic presence in her mate. Fearing the worst she gently placed her fingers on Naruto's face and established a mind meld with him….

….

 _Naruto's Mindscape…._

 _T'Lyra saw a woman dressed in white with horns and knew who it was from Naruto's descriptions of her. The brunette beauty said, "You are….Kaguya?"_

 _Kaguya turned to T'Lyra and said, "Well, well. At last we meet young T'Lyra. Yes, I am Kaguya and I am Naruto's sole remaining non Vulcan ancestress."_

 _Naruto's mate asked, "What are you doing here?"_

 _The Rabbit Goddess said, "I check on my grandson's welfare from time to time. It seems he's exhausted himself again."_

 _Nodding, T'Lyra said, "He drives himself too hard too often. I fear he will burn himself out."_

 _"Perhaps he needs to take a genuine vacation as opposed to fighting all of the time." said Kaguya. "He has a race to repopulate you know."_

 _"He indicated that you suggested him having a harem." said T'Lyra._

 _Kaguya nodded and said, "You seem to agree given you are willing to share him with your cousin."_

 _"S'Loren….She is strong and delicate at the same time." The brunette added, "I do not know why but I believe she and Naruto could be good for each other."_

 _"Are their others you believe would make suitable mates for Naruto?" asked Kaguya. "You seem awfully open minded about this."_

 _"The Blue Dynasty practiced polygamy often." said T'Lyra. "Perhaps it's just in my family's traditions."_

….

POSTSCRIPT:

So Kaguya and T'Lyra have finally met and we've seen a touch of T'Lyra's mindset. Where will that lead. I'm currently working on chapters of **_Dragon's Maw_** and **_Magik_** as well so the updates for **_Infinity Divide_** will slow down a bit. See you next time. Blue out. 2/9/18


	33. Chapter 33

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_

 _It's been quite some time since I've updated this one. As I've said in my other recent updates I'm still working two jobs so updates will unfortunately continue to be slow. Here is chapter 33. Enjoy!_

 _Port = Left_

 _Starboard = Right_

 _[ ] Signifies a foreign language_

Last time:

 ** _T'Ara and Sovar's house_**

 _T'Lyra and Naruto were fast asleep in each other's arms when the blonde started stirring in his sleep. T'Lyra woke up and sensed a foreign telepathic presence in her mate. Fearing the worst she gently placed her fingers on Naruto's face and established a mind meld with him…._

….

 _Naruto's Mindscape…._

 _T 'Lyra saw a woman dressed in white with horns and knew who it was from Naruto's descriptions of her. The brunette beauty said, "You are….Kaguya?"_

 _Kaguya turned to T'Lyra and said, "Well, well. At last we meet young T'Lyra. Yes, I am Kaguya and I am Naruto's sole remaining non Vulcan ancestress."_

 _Naruto's mate asked, "What are you doing here?"_

 _The Rabbit Goddess said, "I check on my grandson's welfare from time to time. It seems he's exhausted himself again."_

 _Nodding, T'Lyra said, "He drives himself too hard too often. I fear he will burn himself out."_

 _"Perhaps he needs to take a genuine vacation as opposed to fighting all of the time." said Kaguya. "He has a race to repopulate you know."_

 _"He indicated that you suggested him having a harem." said T'Lyra._

 _Kaguya nodded and said, "You seem to agree given you are willing to share him with your cousin."_

 _"S'Loren….She is strong and delicate at the same time." The brunette added, "I do not know why but I believe she and Naruto could be good for each other."_

 _"Are their others you believe would make suitable mates for Naruto?" asked Kaguya. "You seem awfully open minded about this."_

 _"The Blue Dynasty practiced polygamy often." said T'Lyra. "Perhaps it's just in my family's traditions_ _. "_

….

Chapter 33

 **Stardate 2273.077, 40 Eridani A System, Planet Vulcan, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

Naruto awoke early to the smell of his Mother's cooking and inhaled deeply. "Mmmm….something smells good." thought Naruto aloud.

T'Lyra awoke to her mate's comment and yawned. "Good morning Naruto."

The blonde gave her a peck on the lips and said, "And good morning to you T'Lyra. How is my beautiful mate this morning? Did you sleep well?"

T'Lyra gave him a tiny smile and said, "I slept well last night. I always do when I am next to you."

Naruto leaned in for another kiss and there was a knock on the bedroom door. It was Talok. "Naruto, T'Lyra; Mama say breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." she said through the door.

"Please tell Mother that we are awake Talok." said Naruto.

Talok replied, "I will tell her big brother."

….

The young couple got up and found a feast spread before them much to their surprise. T'Ara said, "I'm sure you are used to navy food but genuine Vulcan dishes always are better than what comes out of replicators so enjoy."

Sovar soon came in and joined them. He said to his wife, "You and Talok have outdone yourselves this morning T'Ara."

T'Ara said, "I believe the children haven't had anything resembling homemade Vulcan cuisine in months so I thought we should treat them. Besides, we have plans today. We should invite them along; don't you think Sovar?"

Sovar got a gleam in his eye. "But of course. Naruto, how would you like to see your Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandfather?"

Naruto asked, "Do you mean Lady Varek's parents?"

T'Ara nodded. "Grandmother Evoras and Grandfather Hanesh are staying at the M'Fau family retreat in the Plains of Gol and insisted on meeting Talok once they heard she is aspiring to be a dancer."

Talok was eating with barely contained excitement (by Vulcan standards). "Grandmother Evoras is from a long line of dancers and Grandfather Hanesh is a musician. They perform together. When they found out I wished to be a dancer too Grandmother wrote me a letter and said she wished to meet me in person."

"No wonder you are so lively this morning Talok." said Naruto. "I believe I met her when I was little. Is that right Mother?"

"Yes; you were three years old and Grandmother Evoras said you were made for the martial arts like your Father." answered T'Ara. "Looking back I can't help but feel she could see more than your Father and I at the time."

Talok interjected, "You are coming aren't you Naruto?"

"Of course I am." said Naruto. "T'Lyra, would you like to bring your ka'athyra*① so you could play as well?"

"Hmmm….I suppose I could if you wish it Naruto." said T'Lyra in a pleased tone. "I don't know if I will be up to the expectations of your Grandparents though."

"You shouldn't be so modest T'Lyra." said Sovar. "Your playing is exquisite."

T'Lyra blushed a tiny bit at the praise. "I'll get my spare ka'athyra from Mother and Father's house then. I can tune it before we head over to the Plains of Gol."

….

 **Anuak and Falor Tolaris' house**

Soon; Naruto cordially greeted his Mother and Father in law while T'Lyra went to the back bedroom to retrieve her spare ka'athyra that she'd lovingly packed away with its cleaning and tuning supplies. There T'Lyra found her cousin Shizuka looking a bit out of sorts. Shizuka turned to T'Lyra with big eyes and said in a loud whisper, " _Please_ take me with you. I don't care where. Aunt Anuak is driving me positively _insane!_ "

T'Lyra thought to herself, ' _I suppose I shouldn't be entirely surprised_.' She pondered for a moment and then said, "I'm sure Naruto and his family wouldn't mind you coming along Shizuka….Let me ask." The beautiful brunette thought telepathically to her mate, ' _Can Shizuka join us on your family's trip Naruto? My Mother has her a bit….distressed._ '

Naruto gave a mental nod and when the two young Vulcan women came out of the back room they heard Naruto talking to Anuak and Falor. "….And since my family is going to see a genuine Vulcan entertainment troupe I felt it would be good for S'Loran to see some real Vulcan culture as was once played in the royal courts of the old dynasty." He said it so smoothly that no one would have guessed he was completely adlibbing.

Anuak clapped her hands together once and said, "That is an _excellent_ idea Naruto. You are such a thoughtful son in law. I wish I'd have known in advance or Falor and I would have joined you as well." Anuak turned to Shizuka and T'Lyra and said, "S'Loran, use this wonderful opportunity to learn about our Vulcan culture."

Shizuka did her best to bow appropriately and said, "I'll do my best Aunt Anuak. I'll see you and Uncle Falor later then."

….

As Shizuka, T'Lyra and Naruto walked back to the M'Fau residence Shizuka said quietly, "I can't thank you enough! One more mention of the _Honorable Blue Dynasty_ and I would have jumped out of an airlock!"

Naruto mentally cringed at the thought of what Shizuka was going through having spent time extended time with Anuak himself. "Father Falor is relatively laid back but Mother Anuak can be taxing."

"My Mother is rather fixated on the past laurels of the Tolaris Clan." agreed T'Lyra with a flat look.

Naruto mentally said, ' _It could always be worse my love. She could be staying with Taurik and Elonat_.'

T'Lyra mentally smiled at the crazy antics of Naruto's artistic cousins. ' _Truthfully I like them_.'

Naruto just stared at his mate in shocked disbelief….

….

 **T'Ara and Sovar's house**

"Honestly it's no trouble at all Shizuka." said Sovar to the relieved Security Chief. "You are welcome to come along on our little outing."

T'Ara added, "I can understand your distress at Anuak's antics. Our family is so glad that T'Lyra takes after her Father's side of the Tolaris Clan."

"Thank you very much." said Shizuka bowing her head. The M'Fau's quickly loaded up the family hovercraft and Naruto pulled his VK220R out of the garage. Shizuka saw the crimson red racing machine and asked, "What _is_ that?"

T'Lyra came out in her form fitting biker suit holding a helmet and said, "It's a VK220R speeder bike. Naruto and I will be riding it while you ride with the family in the hovercraft."

Shizuka was admiring the sleek sports machine with wide, admiring eyes and asked, "How fast does it go? This is some vehicle. It looks really badass!"

Naruto came out of the house in his own uniform with his helmet and saw Shizuka talking animatedly with T'Lyra. The brunette was proudly showing off the bike a bit. T'Lyra said, "We never rated a true top speed but we took the 220R up to 500 kilometers per hour easily which is well within racing specifications."

"Awesome!" replied Shizuka enthused.

' _Perhaps Shizuka has the same_ _need for speed_ _T'Lyra was blessed with_.' thought Naruto to himself.

….

The trip across ShiKhar City eastward to the Plains of Gol proved to be without incident and they soon came upon the _M'Fau family retreat_. Shizuka was expecting a large family ranch house of some sort but what she saw looked more like….a caravan?

' _What could this be?_ ' wondered the 25 year old Security Chief. _'Looking at the people here reminds me of gypsies from Earth_.' As her green eyes wandered over the _retreat_ she saw the large carts were drawn by many of the horse-like, striped dzharels and large rows of tents. Shizuka then noticed that everyone seemed to be wearing the most amazing clothing. They had a sheen like she'd never seen before. "Their clothing is beautiful…." commented Shizuka. "….I've never seen the like."

T'Ara said, "Ah, those clothes are handcrafted out of dr'thelek silk*②. It is rarely seen outside of Vulcan."

The M'Fau family hovercraft came to a stop at the edge of the retreat and Sovar hopped out showing his crimson M'Fau robes. He flagged down a man feeding the dzharels and after exchanging the Vulcan salute Sovar asked, "Are Evoras and Hanesh M'Fau available? I'm their grandson Sovar and they are expecting my family and I."

The man scrutinized Sovar for a moment and said, "I've heard of you. You are our cousin that travels in _The Forge_. You and your family are welcome here in the retreat."

Sovar added hastily, "We have a guest that is new to Vulcan with us. Is it alright if she joins us?"

The man mentally sighed and asked, "Is she a human tourist?" ' _We get enough of those in our travels without tourists at the retreat_.'

"No, she is a Vulcan raised on Earth by humans." explained Sovar. "While she doesn't know our logic or customs; we hope to put her in touch with her roots. She is descended of the Tolaris Clan."

Nodding, the man said, "That is an admirable goal. She is welcome of course." He motioned behind him towards the caravan. "Grandfather Hanesh and Grandmother Evoras are in the large green covered tent."

Sovar bowed and said, "Thank you cousin." Moving at a more relaxed pace; Sovar came over to the hovercraft and said, "Everyone is welcome. Grandfather and Grandmother are in the green tent." He motioned to Naruto and T'Lyra to park their speeder bike by the hovercraft and the blonde brought the crimson red machine smoothly to a halt. The pair quickly dismounted and took off their helmets.

"All of these people are your relatives?" Shizuka asked Naruto.

Naruto nodded and said, "Yes, all the people in this travelling troupe are relatives on my Father's side. His branch of the family is made up of artisans, artists, spiritualists and so on. They travel the world and entertain others at festivals but they usually return here when they can."

Shizuka looked over at T'Ara briefly and asked the blonde, "….And your Mother's side?"

The blonde said, "Mother's line is descended of the warriors who rode the plains on their dzharels; hence our name M'Fau, ' _The Riders_.'

" _The Riders_ huh?" wondered Shizuka aloud. "That sounds like a clan to see."

Naruto brought Shizuka out of her musings when he handed her a bit of luggage to help unload the family hovercraft….

….

 **Evoras and Hanesh's tent**

Sovar and his family (plus Shizuka) entered the tent of his Grandparents and proper introductions were made. Soon they were all sitting down around a traditional cooking fire over tea.

"It has been a long time Sovar." said Evoras. She was dressed in white and red. Evoras was in her nineties but certainly didn't look it. She had a well toned dancer's body and was quite striking for her age. Her husband Hanesh also wore white and red patterns but he was totally gray unlike his wife who just had a wisp of gray in her black hair. He noticed T'Lyra's ka'athyra and took interest in the young woman though he hadn't said anything. Evoras scrutinized Naruto and said, "I remember you bringing this little troublemaker as well. You rearranged my wardrobe according to your _own_ logic Naruto M'Fau. It took days to straighten that mess up. I hope you've outgrown those tendencies."

Naruto gave a minimal smile and said, "That was my way of showing my respects as a child. I play much more mature riddles on others now."

Shizuka kept a straight face because of her discipline but wanted to laugh at Evoras's raised eyebrow of terror….

"So you play the ka'athyra." said Hanesh to T'Lyra. "How long have you played?" he asked curiously.

T'Lyra answered, "I've played 15 years. I started taking lessons at four years old."

"Marvelous." replied Hanesh. "I would like to hear you play for us."

"I will do my best." said T'Lyra. "However I doubt it is up to your standards."

Hanesh said reassuringly, "I'm sure you will do well."

….

The eleven year old Talok was eagerly speaking with her Great-Grandmother Evoras about dancing forms and the Elder was very pleased to see her grandchild knew so much about the subject. "I starting dancing as soon as I was old enough to walk." stated Evoras. "Your Father indicated you did the same. I am most interested in seeing your dance style little one." she said to the eleven year old.

"I am eager to show you." said Talok with barely hidden enthusiasm. "Dancing has been my favorite thing to do since as long as I can remember."

….

That evening the M'Fau Clan cleared out an area that they used for practice and Talok was given center stage. Truthfully Evoras wasn't sure what to expect from her grandchild but the clan lent her some traditional dancing clothes which seemed to please Talok immensely. As the clan sat around the 'stage' Talok walked barefoot out onto the sand and began a flowing V'Shan routine. This caught everyone but her family off guard as she effortlessly went through the steps and a few advanced V'Shan moves.

Finally; Talok moved from her artistic warm up smoothly into a few dance steps. She said to her Great-Grandfather Hanesh, "Please play what your soul feels and I shall dance."

Hanesh was not expecting such a request raised a surprised eyebrow. He got a gleam in his eye and motioned to T'Lyra who was sitting beside him with her ka'athyra at ready. He said, "Play as you wish and I will accompany you child."

T'Lyra nodded and started tapping her feet in a very complex twelve-eight time and after establishing a steady rhythm that others joined in on the young woman started playing an ancient tune called _The Fires of the Forge_. It was considered a classic but very complex piece that started out slowly like rolling thunder but grew in speed and ferocity as the intricate tune went on and ended almost explosively.

Talok tapped her foot in rhythm with her sister in law and nodded as if to accept the challenge. She spun on her bare feet in the sand slowly as if further loosening her body up. Talok's long, glossy black hair fanned out behind her as she spun faster and faster as if in the eye of a sandfire storm. The young girl then acrobatically flipped from her standing position into a long foot sweep that showed just how flexible Talok's lean body was. The incorporation of acrobatics and V'Shan style moves that the young Vulcan girl effortlessly incorporated into her dancing style astounded many of those watching as they clapped along to the beat.

As Talok continued to dazzle her audience, T'Lyra found herself caught up in the music that she, Hanesh and two other ka'athyra players were making. The faster and more intense the music got; the more she enjoyed this particular piece. T'Lyra found her Mother always thought _The Fires of the Forge_ was too wild and too loud so she only played it when her parents were out of the house. On the other hand she could sense the entire M'Fau Clan there was as caught up in the music as much as she was and T'Lyra was enjoying herself immensely.

As Talok gained speed she spun once again causing the audience to wonder how the girl could achieve such a level at such a young age. Her borrowed dancer's outfit flowed like the wind behind her and it was a spectacle to see for Sovar and T'Ara. They could both imagine what a splendid and beautiful dancer their daughter would become in the next few years.

….As the music came to a crescendo Talok pirouetted and came to a perfect halt in the bowed position when the song ended….

The M'Fau troupe exploded into civilized but very loud applause. It was obvious that they were all very impressed and Talok felt a sense of elation go through her body despite the fact she was rather drained from the intense 15 minute dance.

Most of all she noted her Grandmother Evoras clapping with enthusiasm….

Shizuka was shocked at what a fantastic performance she saw. T'Lyra played all evening with Hanesh and the other ka'athyra players in the clan and Talok danced several times with some of the other dancers as the evening passed. She earned the moniker of ' _Little V'Shan Dancer_ ' by nightfall.

….

Sitting near the campfire Hanesh invited Sovar and Naruto over to have some Vulcan port with him. "It seems that your mate T'Lyra is truly gifted with the ka'athyra Naruto." said Hanesh. "Her singing voice is truly wonderful as well."

"I always look forward to hearing T'Lyra play." said Naruto. "It is a pleasure for the ears." Naruto took a sip of his port and said, "This port is an excellent vintage."

Hanesh said to Sovar, "I see your son has the same tastes in drinks that you do Sovar."

Sovar replied, "It is something I inherited from you Grandfather."

Hanesh leaned back in thought and said, "Ah yes, little Varek never was fond of alcohol."

"I've never thought about it before but I've never seen Lady Varek drink." commented Naruto.

Hanesh raised an eyebrow at the way Naruto referred to his Grandmother as ' _Lady'_ Varek but said nothing.

Sovar said, "Yes, your Great-Grandfather Hanesh here got me started drinking. Mother was furious at him but I've never seen anything wrong with it as long as one drinks in moderation."

….

Evoras was sitting with Talok, T'Lyra, Shizuka and T'Ara in her tent. "I want to give these dancing fans to you Talok. They are an old family heirloom and given your talent I believe they would suit your style perfectly."

The young girl held them reverently and said; "I thank you for your great generosity." Talok held the two fans and noticed they had a weight about them. "Grandmother Evoras, what are these fans made of?"

"They are made of metal." said Evoras. "Open them up."

Talok clicked open one of the fans and immediately noticed it was razor sharp at the edges. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed small blades concealed in the grooves of the folding fan. When Talok opened the fan a bit more the blades extended showing just how dangerous they were. "These are….weapons?" asked the 11 year old.

"Indeed." said Evoras in a pleased tone. "My own Grandmother wielded them while travelling with the caravan to protect herself from predators such as Le-matyas in the wilds."

"How old are these fans?" asked Talok in awe.

"No one knows really." said Evoras. "They've been passed down Mother to daughter and daughter again for centuries. That is why I want you to have them. You are strong enough to use them without any difficulty. Most dancers in the clan don't have the wrist strength to use them properly and have to use fabric fans. I will show you how to care for them and teach you how to incorporate them into your dancing tomorrow after breakfast."

….

Naruto and his family immensely enjoyed the three days they spent at the M'Fau family retreat. They were allowed to ride the clan's dzharels which Naruto and Talok took advantage of. Shizuka found that the M'Fau clan was very understanding of her offworld origins and they gently instructed her in some Vulcan traditions (Unlike her Aunt Anuak that seemed to want Shizuka to be shipped off to a boarding school). She also received some beautiful blue robes made of Dr'thelek silk that she was thrilled with. They matched the ones that T'Lyra received and the pair looked absolutely stunning together. T'Lyra also received crimson robes as she was part of the M'Fau Clan in all but name….

….

 **ShiKhar City**

After returning home to ShiKhar; Naruto and T'Lyra decided they should drop in and see their good friend Kesh as they had missed him the last time they'd been home on Vulcan. They found him helping his Father on the family hovercraft out in front of his home. "Kesh Lhai*③!" called T'Lyra.

Kesh raised his head showing his long hair was as wild as ever. He immediately set down his tools and said, "T'Lyra, Naruto; it has been so long my friends. It is so good to see you!"

The blonde greeted his friend with a Vulcan salute. "Kesh, you've grown taller. How are you?"

Kesh returned the salute and said, "I couldn't be better. I'm working as a business and marketing manager now at a speeder bike company. It turns out between business school and working on that VK220R of yours really opened my career path."

"That's excellent." said T'Lyra. "Do you have a bike of your own?"

The long haired young man said, "No, I have a small hovercraft to get around in." He scratched his neck nervously and said, "For some odd reason I'm a bit danger prone on speeder bikes."

Naruto and T'Lyra thought in unison, ' _Some things never change_ ….'

"At any rate, what are things like in Starfleet?" asked Kesh. "Surely they must be more exciting than being in a business office all day."

The three friends sat down together and spent the afternoon relaxing and visiting about the different adventures they'd been on….Hours later Naruto and T'Lyra bid Kesh farewell for the evening having caught up on most of the current events with their old classmates. The trio agreed to travel up to Vulcana Regar the next day so they could spend more time together.

"This has been a wonderful trip Naruto." said T'Lyra with warmth in her eyes. The two crossed fingers as they went back home to Naruto's parents' house.

….

 **Vulcana Regar**

The next day Naruto and T'Lyra (with Shizuka and Kesh in tow) took the magnetic rail train to Vulcana Regar on a short business trip to the M'Fau Banking and Investment Firm to see Naruto's cousin Metana M'Fau. Kesh and Shizuka went to shop a bit while Naruto and T'Lyra conducted business. Metana greeted her cousin and his mate and was very pleased to present them with a very successful business portfolio. Metana said, "It seems that your investments in starship propulsion and pharmaceutical companies have been extremely lucrative. It evokes a sense of satisfaction in our firm to see members of the clan so successful. What else can I do for you today?"

"We are interested in EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals." said T'Lyra. "The develop advance medicines for many races both on and off planet as well as restorative cloning procedures."

Metana brought up the data on the small Vulcana Regar based pharmaceutical company. "It seems that one of their biggest investors and business manager sold out leaving the company in dire straits financially speaking." Metana frowned slightly. "It appears that most of their development work is going to be sold to other companies next month to cover the losses. What interests you in this particular firm?"

"A friend of ours from the Vulcan Science Academy works there as a lead developer." said Naruto. "She is very gifted in the field of medicine and we wish to see her succeed."

"Senva Tolek; holder of 33 patents in the medical field and a rising star in the pharmaceutical industry…." said Metana. "This is your friend?" Seeing Naruto and T'Lyra nod Metana continued. "It seems that she is the primary mover behind the company since the financial collapse."

"How much would it take to rescue this company….?" asked T'Lyra.

Metana plugged in a few algorithms and said, "One moment and I'll have an estimate…." She looked over the records with a vexed expression and said, "15 million credits should cover all of their losses but it would take an additional 20 million to give them the capital necessary for proper research and development. Theoretically it would be high risk but you have already invested in other pharmaceutical companies so you are used to these kinds of numbers…."

"Tell us more…." said Naruto.

….

 **EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals**

An hour later Naruto and T'Lyra came over to EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals to see their friend Senva. The secretary looked a bit tired and said in an exhausted tone, "Welcome to EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals, how may we be of service today?"

Naruto said, "We are investors and would like to see Senva Tolek about a possible financial arrangement with your company."

The secretary looked a bit shocked for a split second and said, "Your name sir and ma'am?"

"Naruto and T'Lyra M'Fau" answered T'Lyra.

"I will call Miss Senva." said the secretary. She quickly brought up a screen to contact Senva.

T'Lyra mentally spoke to her husband, ' _Why would Senva still be a_ _Miss_ _? Wasn't she engaged to be married upon graduation from the Vulcan Science Academy?_ '

 _'I'm puzzled as well_.' answered Naruto.

Senva soon came through a door to the back and saw Naruto and T'Lyra standing there. She immediately gave a Vulcan salute that the couple returned. "Naruto and T'Lyra my friends; it has been too long. I am glad to see you but what brings you here to Vulcana Regar?"

Naruto gave a minimal smile and said. "We've come on business. My mate and I are interested in investing in your company. We understand that you are the business manager as well as lead developer currently."

Raising an eyebrow; Senva said to her secretary, "T'Pril, I'm going out to lunch. "Do I have any other appointments today?"

"Not for another four hours Miss Senva." answered the now named T'Pril.

"Good." said Senva. "I will be out for an extended lunch then. Call me if you need me."

T'Pril nodded. "Understood Miss Senva."

….

Naruto and T'Lyra treated Senva to lunch along with Kesh and Shizuka. They got a private booth so they could talk. Kesh was blushing slightly as he admired Senva. The long haired young Vulcan man was completely love struck with the slightly older Vulcan woman. He said with an appropriate bow, "I am Kesh Lhai and I'm honored to meet you Miss Senva."

Shizuka raised her eyebrows and thought, ' _Is he twitter-pated?_ ' with a mental giggle.

Naruto and T'Lyra noticed the same and wondered about Kesh's own betrothal. ' _What about Kesh's betrothed?_ ' asked Naruto mentally.

' _I have no idea but I know they never got along_.' replied T'Lyra. ' _They seemed like a bad match_.'

….

Senva explained the sad financial situation of her company to Naruto and T'Lyra. "We estimate it will take 24.7 million credits to get the company into a financial situation where we can be productive again."

"How much of that will go towards new research and development?" asked T'Lyra.

"11.6 million of that total would go towards development of new products and research." said Senva. "I'm afraid that my company is doomed. I thank you for your interest though."

Naruto and T'Lyra nodded at each other. The blonde said, "35 million credits."

Senva asked, "35 million credits?"

T'Lyra stated, "We are prepared to invest 35 million credits in EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals to restore your business and make it productive again. Naturally we would expect a return on our investment within the next ten years but we have discussed it and believe you are up to the task Senva."

"That would give you 21.9 million credits to put towards research, development, facilities and staff." added Naruto. "We want to see you succeed Senva."

Senva's dark eyes widened and after a few moments she finally said, "I am speechless….Can this be true?"

"We believe your company is making products that will be in demand with the Federation Starfleet in the not so distant future." explained Naruto. "You focus on several races rather than just Vulcans and that is a huge advantage in the marketplace."

"We'd need a new business manager then." said Senva. "I am not up to the task and I need to focus on development."

Kesh went slightly bug eyed and pulled out his business card. "My card Miss Senva." It simply said: ' _Kesh Lhai, Business and Marketing Manager, ShiKhar Speeder Bikes_.'

"You are offering…?" asked Senva uncertainly.

Kesh answered, "I would be _interested_. I will forward you my resume. You need to go through a proper interview process and choose who is right for your company."

It only took a small board meeting for Senva to convince her staff to welcome the M'Fau's investment into their company and she immediately started drafting the job requirements for a business manager….

….

The next morning Naruto and company took the magnetic rail train back to ShiKhar City. On the way they ended up discussing Kesh's obvious _personal_ interest in Senva.

T'Lyra said, "I thought you were betrothed Kesh; did something happen?"

Kesh leaned back in a relaxed pose. "She found another and married him with my blessings. We never got along well anyway. It was one of the best decisions I ever made."

"You seem quite pleased." commented Naruto.

"I am." said Kesh. "Can you tell me about Miss Senva? She is quite striking."

As Naruto and T'Lyra discussed their friend Senva with Kesh; Shizuka wanted to laugh. ' _Vulcan courtship rituals are certainly interesting_.' she thought with a mental chuckle….

….

 **Stardate 2273.084 Planet Vulcan orbit,** ** _U.S.S Darwin_**

Naruto, T'Lyra and Shizuka returned to the _Darwin_ via transporter and materialized on transporter pad two. They bid farewell to many family members and friends before beaming up. To their surprise Doctor Alison Fairbanks was waiting for them aboard the ship when they arrived. The petite redhead smiled widely at Naruto and T'Lyra and said, "It seems I'm hitching a ride on the _Darwin_. There are legal matters to clear up with the whole stasis field generator incident so I'll be in your care."

Naruto said, "I see why you weren't there for our departure then."

"I beamed up here ahead of time." said Alison with a grin. "Besides, you know I'm bad at goodbyes."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*①: Ka'athyra: The Vulcan lyre as noted previously.

*②: _Dr'thelek silk_ _:_ It cannot be synthesized via replicators and is renowned for its resilience and spectrum of brilliant colors, is a prized material used in the creation of Vulcan clothing. The material is not exported; the only way to obtain _dr'thelek silk_ is to buy it on Vulcan.

*③: Lhai: I never gave Kesh a clan name so I chose Lhai meaning "Banner Carrier."

Well, this is a good stopping point. Not a lot of action this chapter but I wanted to show what was happening back on Vulcan and have Naruto and T'Lyra catch up with some of their old friends and families. Next chapter we'll be back in space. See you next time. Blue out. 5/10/18


	34. Chapter 34

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter came out quicker than I expected and was brought to you courtesy of insomnia. I can't say a lack of sleep is a good thing but at least I got something productive done! This is mainly character building in preparation for a time skip in the near future. Here is chapter 34. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2273.084 Planet Vulcan orbit, U.S.S Darwin_**

 _Naruto, T'Lyra and Shizuka returned to the Darwin via transporter and materialized on transporter pad two. They bid farewell to many family members and friends before beaming up. To their surprise Doctor Alison Fairbanks was waiting for them aboard the ship when they arrived. The petite redhead smiled widely at Naruto and T'Lyra and said, "It seems I'm hitching a ride on the Darwin. There are legal matters to clear up with the whole stasis field generator incident so I'll be in your care."_

 _Naruto said, "I see why you weren't there for our departure then."_

 _"I beamed up here ahead of time." said Alison with a grin. "Besides, you know I'm bad at goodbyes."_

….

Chapter 34

 **Stardate 2273.085** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2273.085: Captain Mei Terumi reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _was en route to the Planet Earth to deliver Doctor Alison Fairbanks to Starfleet Command so she could testify before the Admiralty about the rather disastrous Stasis Field Generator experiment. We have been taken off course however. We have received a distress call from_ _NCC-1018 U.S.S. Goeben_ _–a_ _Constitution_ _Class Heavy Cruiser that vanished nearly 16 years ago…._

Captain Mei Terumi marched onto the bridge of the _Darwin_ and said, "How long till we are in special sensor range of the _Goeben_ Commander Beam?"

Chief Science Officer Jamie Beam looked up from her science station and said, "At our current rate of speed we will be in special sensor range in twenty minutes."

Rafi was at the helm and Samui Schrodinger was at the navigator's position. Mei turned to Rafi and said, "Once we come into special sensor range I want you to parallel the _U.S.S. Goeben's_ speed and course Cadet Rafi. I don't want them to know we are out here just yet."

"Aye Captain." answered the Trill girl.

Commander Sarutobi looked puzzled and said, "Are you suspecting a trap of some sort Captain?"

Mei simply said, "The _U.S.S. Goeben_ vanished on the Kzinti border and was assumed lost 16 years ago. Now it reappears in the heart of Federation territory without being spotted in between those two points. It's hard to _not_ be suspicious Asuma. I want a decent picture of the situation before we charge in to the rescue. The object transmitting the distress call might not be the _U.S.S. Goeben_ at all."

"….We're coming into special sensor range Captain. The _U.S.S. Goeben_ is currently at a dead stop." said Commander Beam. "The sensor readings are very distorted as well. It's as if I'm scanning through a dense field of asteroids."

Mei nodded and said, "All stop Cadet Rafi." The red haired Captain turned to Commander Beam and said, "On screen." The bridge crew gasped as they saw the _U.S.S. Goeben_ seem to shimmer in and out of existence. "Magnify." commanded Mei.

The unmoving _Goeben_ appeared translucent and was heavily damaged. "She's a battered wreck." said Shizuka. "The sensors can't tell us exactly what type of damage at this range but there is evidence of beam and direct fire weapon hits. It could be phasers or disruptors and drones."

"Any signs of energy output from the _Goeben?_ " asked Asuma.

Jamie Beam shook her head. "There is too much interference for precise readings but the _Goeben_ appears to be in standby mode with minimum life support. The only way to tell for certain would be to close the range."

Mei drummed her fingers and said, "Ahead half impulse power Cadet Rafi. Jamie; see what you can figure out as we get closer. Shizuka, focus on the damage and see if you can tell what hit the _Goeben_. The weapons you described could be of Kzinti or Klingon origin and the _U.S.S. Goeben_ disappeared near their combined border."

"We should be entering their sensor range now Captain Terumi." said Samui as she watched the distance between the two ships.

The redheaded Captain nodded. "Open hailing frequencies and try to signal the _Goeben_ Cadet M'rella."

"Aye, aye Captain." acknowledged the beautiful Caitian girl.

While M'rella went through the hailing protocols, Commander Beam was carefully scanning the _Goeben_ for any signs of life. "The interference is still too great Captain. I can't get a positive lock on the _Goeben_. It's as if the ship isn't entirely there."

"Sounds like spatial interphase." said a female voice from the turbolift. It was Doctor Alison Fairbanks.

Mei turned around in her Captain's chair and said, "If you can help shed some light on this Doctor Fairbanks; it would be wonderful. I have to ask what you are doing on my bridge though."

"I heard talk of a Flying Dutchman in the ship's lounge and decided to come see it for myself." said Allison. "Besides, I was bored."

The Captain sighed at the younger redhead's flippancy and said, "Please go to the special sensor station with Commander Beam." Mei turned back to the communications station and asked, "Any luck hailing them Cadet M'rella?"

The young Caitian woman shook her head. "All I'm getting is static and a repeated automatic distress signal Captain Terumi."

Mei nodded and said, "Keep trying M'rella."

Five minutes later Alison said, "There we go. We just had to use the special sensors in tandem instead of individually to account for the spatial interphase. Try it now Commander Beam."

Jamie said, "That's perfect Doctor Fairbanks; excellent!" The Chief Science Officer quickly tied in the other sensors to Shizuka's station as well as the others.

"Got it." said Shizuka. Medium phaser and heavy drone damage. It's probably from a Kzinti ship but we can't be one hundred percent sure."

"The _U.S.S Goeben_ appears to be drifting backwards out of the spatial interphase space." said Alison. "There is an interphase 'rift' if front of the ship so we should approach from aft."

"Could we lock a tractor beam on the _Goeben_ and pull it out of the interphase area?" asked Asuma.

Alison looked at the readings closely and said, "That seems _plausible_ Commander Sarutobi."

"Plausible?" asked Asuma in puzzlement.

The young red haired scientist explained, "No one knows what universe lies on the other side of spatial interphase. There may be many. You said the _Goeben_ disappeared 16 years ago from our universe. It could have been in another universe for 16 minutes, 16 years or 16 centuries for all we know. If the ship is structurally intact there's no reason we can't tow it out. If the structure has decayed or degraded somehow then a tractor beam might tear the ship apart."

"Well, other than a tractor beam I don't know of any other way to pull thousands of metric tons of metal away from a doorway to another universe." said Mei. "Unless there are life forms aboard of course…."

….

 **Staff Meeting Room**

Naruto M'Fau found himself once again sitting in on a staff meeting, this time discussing spatial interphase. He was very familiar with it mathematically speaking but he considered Alison to be the real expert regarding that particular phenomena.

"So what exactly is this spatial interphase we are dealing with Doctor Fairbanks?" asked Captain Terumi.

Alison hummed a moment and said, "In layman's terms, spatial interphase, also known as interspace or an interphasic rift, is a phenomenon in which the fabric of space begins to break up, allowing an overlap of parallel universes on different dimensional planes. The rift itself also contains a completely empty realm, devoid of life, between the dimensional planes."

Hearing the murmers around the room Alison continued. "Six years ago _NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise_ encountered the _NCC-1764 U.S.S. Defiant_ after the latter drifted into spatial interphase.*① I studied this a great deal due to my interest in the subject. The biggest danger to us here is ' _interphase madness_ ' to coin a term."

"So what is interphase madness?" asked Doctor Walker.

"That's a good question." said Alison. "In short, as a result of being exposed to interphase, the crew of the _Defiant_ began to suffer from a distortion of the brain tissue in their central nervous systems, which manifested itself as violent and paranoid behavior which ultimately led the crew to murder one another. There was a total loss of life on the _Defiant_." The crew of the Darwin gulped slightly at the concept.

Mei said, "Given you are talking about it so nonchalantly I'm assuming there is a cure for this interphase madness Doctor Fairbanks?"

Alison nodded. "Though it was too late for the crew of the _Defiant_ , Doctor Leonard McCoy of the _Enterprise_ was able to counter the effects with a derivative of the Klingon nerve gas theragen. I'm not aware of the exact chemical composition but I have no doubt the information is in the _Darwin's_ computers so it shouldn't be an issue. Besides, we haven't actually approached the interphasic rift so it shouldn't be an issue."

"My question is whether or not there are any survivors on board the _Goeben_." said Doctor Walker. "If there are we are wasting valuable time debating here when there are lives at stake."

Mei nodded. "Our sensors even at close range can't tell. We'll need to send over Away Teams that are inoculated against this interphase madness. One Team will check the _Goeben's_ structural integrity for towing and the other will search for survivors. Both Teams will have armed escorts just in case. Doctor Walker; have your staff prepare this derivative of theragen gas and we'll assemble the Teams in the meantime."

….

 **Transporter Room,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Two hours later; the two Away Teams had been formed and the preventative drug based on theragen gas administered. They were all in environmental survival suits. Chief Engineer Sassaav was in command of the Team going to the main engine room to start investigating the _Goeben's_ physical condition. Commander Asuma Sarutobi was in charge of the Team searching for survivors starting with the bridge. After beaming over the two Teams set to work.

 **Bridge,** ** _U.S.S. Goeben_**

Asuma and his Away Team made up of Lieutenant Commander Jamie Beam, Shizuka Nadeshiko, Naruto M'Fau and Doctor Shelley Wilson shimmered into existence on the bridge of the Goeben. The remains of the crew were everywhere in a state of advanced decomposition. Doctor Wilson looked at the remains and said, "16 years looks about right. I'll start an examination."

Asuma said, "Fan out and look around. After seeing this I doubt anyone is left alive."

Naruto went over to the sciences station and immediately started scanning for life signs aboard the ship. After a few minutes he said, "Commander Sarutobi, there are no signs of life aboard this vessel except for the bridge and engineering."

Asuma shook his head. "I can't say I'm surprised. Sixteen years in a dead zone and interphase madness….these poor men and women never stood a chance." The Commander's communicator crackled to life and he flipped it open. "This is Sarutobi, go ahead."

Sassaav's voice came through the communicator and he said, " _Commander, we have impulse power believe it or not. The_ _Goeben_ _is intact structurally. I recommend we back her out of the interphase under her own power_."

Asuma's eyes lit up. "That's excellent news Sassaav. I'll contact the Captain immediately."

Shizuka moved over to the helm position stepping over another body in the process. She said, "Thrusters are online, impulse engines are showing green….phasers are online too. I wonder why the phaser capacitor is charged."

Doctor Wilson looked up and said, "It's probably due to the paranoia of interphase madness. They were probably afraid of outside attack as well." Shelly turned to Asuma. "Commander Sarutobi, my estimates show these bodies have been decomposing for around fifteen or sixteen years."

"The ship's last log entry is dated 16 years ago as well." said Commander Beam.

"Viewscreen on." said Shizuka. The Away Team looked up and saw nothing but the blackness of interphase space ahead of them. There were stars to port and starboard but only dead space in the interphase. "That's not very reassuring." commented the security chief.

Asuma signaled the Darwin. "Commander Sarutobi to _Darwin_ ; come in please."

His communicator beeped and Captain Terumi answered. " _What have you got Commander?_ " asked Mei.

Asuma said, "We can detect no signs of life on the _Goeben_ Captain. The last log entry is sixteen years ago and by some miracle we have impulse power. I'm requesting permission to back the _Goeben_ out of interphase space instead of using the _Darwin's_ tractor beam."

Mei sounded surprised and replied, " _Excellent Commander, make it so. The sooner both ships are away from the spatial interphase rift the better I'll feel_."

"Understood Captain." said Asuma. "Sarutobi out."

Shizuka asked from the helm station, "Shall I back us out Commander?"

Asuma nodded, "Full reverse impulse Lieutenant Nadeshiko."

"Full reverse Commander." echoed Shizuka.

The _Goeben_ jolted slightly as she moved under her own power for the first time in over a decade. As it slowly backed away from the interphasic rift the Away Team saw the rift fluctuate and then vanish….

….

 **Bridge,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Alison Fairbanks said, "As I estimated, the rift collapsed once the _U.S.S._ _Goeben_ was no longer there to keep it open. It's a shame. I'd like to have sent a probe in there to see what was in the rift."

Captain Terumi pivoted her chair to face the younger redhead and said, "Given how hazardous interphase is I'm just glad the rift is gone."

….

 _Personal Log, Stardate 2273.087: Captain Mei Terumi reporting._ _NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin_ _has successfully towed the_ _U.S.S Goeben_ _to Utopia Planitia Shipyards in orbit of Mars. The_ _Goeben_ _, though damaged, is fully repairable according to our Chief Engineer Sassaav so Starfleet is at least regaining a heavy cruiser from this tragedy. On a personal note towing a ship full of bodies has been hard on the crew, especially Security Chief Nadeshiko. She is handling it well enough but due to her previous experience on the_ _Darwin_ _it has been difficult for her. I have advised her to see a counselor on Earth when we arrive._

….

 **Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

The Admiralty's Inquiry into the Stasis Field Generator disaster was both direct and to the point. Both Doctor Alison Fairbanks and Doctor Naruto M'Fau were asked to give depositions as expert witnesses on the experiment and were to remain on Earth for the next two weeks in case further questions arose. In the meantime Alison decided to visit her estranged family on Earth. She was discussing it with Naruto….

"….It's not like I hate them or anything Naruto; it's just my parents and I never got along." said Alison. "They run a vineyard here in California and didn't know what to do with a daughter that is a genius. My two brothers and my sister are completely normal and want to continue the family business. I always wanted to explore the mysterious of the cosmos."

"When was the last time you were on Earth?" asked Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

Alison shrugged. "It's been six years I guess. I haven't seen or spoken to my parents since I left to go to the Vulcan Science Academy. I consider Vulcan my home now as much as Earth. Want to tag along? We could bring T'Lyra of course."

Naruto said, "I'm on duty as your liaison to Starfleet so I may travel with you. Unfortunately T'Lyra is on duty aboard the _Darwin_ and no shore leave has been authorized."

"Well then mister liaison; I'll take you to the Fairbanks Vineyard." said Allison with a grin. She sighed internally. ' _I hope that the family isn't still upset with me for just blowing them off and leaving Earth….They are probably still pissed_.'

….

Alison rented a hovercraft and the two Vulcan Science Academy graduates headed north from San Francisco to the Fairbanks Vineyard which was just south of San Jose. Naruto noticed that Alison's usual cheerful banter was a bit strained. ' _She's obviously worried_.' thought the blonde hybrid. The drive was sedate enough as they followed the old California coastal highways. The redhead pointed out several landmarks along the way but the closer they got to their destination the quieter Alison seemed to get.

When the pair arrived at the Fairbanks Vineyard Naruto noted that it was cordoned off with a well maintained wooden fence. They turned off the side road they were on towards a gravel driveway that led up to the Fairbanks home which was a spacious ranch style house. Judging by the size of the place Naruto figured the Fairbanks family was fairly well off. As they pulled up in front of the house Alison said, "We may not be welcome here so be prepared just in case." Naruto simply nodded in agreement.

Alison hopped out of the hovercraft with Naruto in tow and knocked on the front door of the house. "Coming!" said a female voice from within. Alison cringed a bit and Naruto felt her nervousness on the rise. A petite woman in her fifties opened the door. She had red hair the same color as Alison's with streaks of gray in it. The woman looked at Alison in absolute shock and whispered, "….Ally? Is that you…?"

Allison said, "It's me Mom."

"Who is at the door Selena?" asked a male voice.

The now named Selena said, "It's Ally, Charles…Our baby girl."

There was silence for a few moments and then a man of short stature came running up to the door. He stared at Alison with wide eyes and said. "My baby girl; have you come home to stay?"

Alison shook her head. "I'm just visiting Dad. I won't be staying."

Both parents looked a bit crestfallen but Selena said, "Won't you come in?"

Alison asked, "Is it really okay? You told me if I left to _never come back_."

"Baby girl, I never meant any of the things I said….I was just angry at the time." said Charles with a tear in his eye.

Selena had tears in her eyes as well and said, "Where have you been Ally? We looked high and low for you. We'd lost all hope…."

"Maybe coming back here was a bad idea…." said Alison looking at her crying parents.

"No, no!" said Charles. "Please come in baby girl….It broke our hearts when you vanished. Where did you go? Where have you been all this time?"

Alison looked sadly at her parents and was going to say something when they both suddenly noticed Naruto was there. "Ummm….you are…?" asked Selina.

Naruto thought to himself, ' _So this is where Alison's tunnel vision comes from. They didn't even notice I was here until now_.'

The younger redhead said, "This is my dear friend Naruto. He's here to act as my escort from Starfleet."

"Starfleet?" asked Charles. "You joined the military?!"

Naruto interjected, "Doctor Fairbanks didn't join Starfleet. She is a consultant for Starfleet and I am acting as her liaison."

" ** _DOCTOR?!_** " asked the two startled parents as one.

Naruto simply said, "Your daughter holds a doctoral degree at the Vulcan Science Academy in Astrophysics and Quantum Physics."

….

 **Spacedock, geosynchronous orbit above San Fransico,** ** _U.S.S. Darwin_**

Aboard the _U.S.S. Darwin_ , Captain Mei Terumi was less than thrilled they would be in dock for two weeks but decided that it would be an opportunity to start the ship's department heads on reviewing the Cadet's performance so far. They were halfway through the Cadet Cruise and now was as good a time as any….

Calling a staff meeting Mei squared her shoulders and saw her department heads. Commander Asuma Sarutobi, Chief Engineer Sassaav, Doctor Jonathon Walker, Lt Commander Jamie Beam and Lt Shizuka Nadeshiko all looked bright and attentive. Captain Terumi said, "As we are halfway through our Cadet Cruise; we will be doing performance evaluations on our cadets and regular personnel." She saw their faces fall as if they'd all been demoted to KP duty for the rest of their lives. Getting her usual smile on her beautiful face the redheaded Captain said, " _Is there a problem…?_ " in a tone that would peel the paint off of the bulkheads.

"NO, MA'AM!" answered her department heads in terror of their Captain's wrath.

Mei said smiling, "Good, good. I'm so glad to have such a bunch of loyal, _obedient_ officers in my crew. That is all."

….

 **The Fairbanks residence**

Naruto found that the Fairbanks family was as random as his dear friend Alison was. That is to say their conversations tended to drift all over the place in an abstract manner….Only they were _more_ random than Alison. Selena said, "So Mister Naruto, you and Alison worked on your Doctoral Degrees together. I can't believe my Ally graduated from one of the most prestigious institutions in the whole Federation."

"Alison never dropped out of the top five positions in our class." explained Naruto. "You seem surprised at her intellect."

Charles looked embarrassed. "We always knew Ally was very bright. She always was bored at school and always causing problems. We thought she was just a troublemaker. I guess Ally was even smarter than we realized." Alison's Father turned to her and said, "How did you get to Vulcan to begin with baby girl? You were only fourteen when you left."

Alison swirled her coffee in her cup and said, "I qualified for a free ride during pre-testing at the Vulcan Science Academy before I left home. I thought things through and I had a scholarship long before I moved on. Besides, we were always fighting….I just wanted out."

"I wish you would have called and told us where you where and that you were alright Ally." said Selena. "We were horribly worried about you! Your Dad and I prayed for you every day."

The younger redhead looked down and said, "I didn't think you'd want to know. Besides, living on Vulcan is great. I was afraid you'd make me come back to Earth since I was a minor."

"So where did you come into the picture Mister Naruto?" asked Selena. "I can tell you and Ally are close."

Alison chuckled. "Naruto was as young as I was in the Academy and we both were in the top five students so we became study buddies all the way through till we got our doctorates."

"You are a Doctor too Mister Naruto?" asked Charles.

"I hold two doctoral degrees in Astrodynamics and Genetics." said Naruto. "Allison and I helped each other on our Doctoral Theses."

"That's unbelievable to have accomplished so much at such a young age." said Selena.

Alison pulled her platinum medallion from the Vulcan Science Academy out and showed it to her parents. "This is the medallion you receive when you become a student at the Vulcan Science Academy. The emblem in the center is the Vulcan symbol for _Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations_. The script is in Golic Vulcan so I'll translate it for you. The script shows my doctorate and this in smaller letters means _with great honor_ …."

Naruto relaxed a bit seeing Alison bonding with her parents. They seemed genuinely thrilled with Alison's accomplishments. He would have been satisfied to have remained out of the conversation but Alison's curious parents wanted to see his medallion too so he reluctantly pulled it out for them to admire. The blonde normally didn't wear his medallion but he had it on since he'd given a deposition earlier that day. Charles and Selena hadn't ever met a Vulcan before so that became another random topic of discussion….

"So what is Planet Vulcan like?" asked Selina excitedly.

Alison sweat dropped and said, "Well, it's hot and arid is largely a desert. You have to make sure to stay hydrated at all times."

"I'm surprised you don't have a dark tan then baby girl." said Charles.

"I wear Vulcan robes and they keep my skin from being exposed too much." answered Alison.

"Is Mister Naruto here your boyfriend?" asked Selena.

Alison blushed and thought, ' _I wish_.' "Naruto is my dear friend, not my boyfriend."

Selena giggled and said, "Are you sure?"

Naruto thought to himself, ' _Selena is as blunt and tactless as her daughter can be it seems_.'

Charles took a pontificating tone and said, "I'm not so sure about you dating my daughter Mister Naruto. I mean, you seem like a responsible young man but-"

" _WE ARE NOT DATING!_ " shrieked Alison.

'….' thought Naruto to no one in particular….

….

 ** _U.S.S Darwin_**

Sassaav was doing one of the things he hated the most; performance reviews. He hated _giving_ them; he hated _receiving_ them but most of all he _absolutely despised_ **_writing_** them! "I guess I'll start with the Cadets…." he grumbled to himself. ' _What's that big Orion kid's name? Kloene. Let's see….Job knowledge: Excellent, Discipline: Above Average, Ability to work with others: Above Average, Command Ability: Excellent. Comments: Cadet Kloene is an excellent Cadet Officer that stands out among his peers due to his excellent knowledge and intuition. I have not seen him make a recommendation that wasn't logical and qualified_ ….'

….

Doctor Jonathan Walker was reviewing his initial drafts. ' _I have five Cadets that are a head and shoulders above the rest in almost every way. They all coincidentally are part of the_ _ **Think Tank**_ _. It seems the Admiralty knew exactly what they were doing when they pushed that group of kids ahead. The only other Cadet that is close to them in performance is Cadet Ino Yamanaka whose work as Acting Counselor has been outstanding_ ….'

….

Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko was gnashing her teeth and pulling her hair. This was her first time writing performance evaluations as a department head. ' _These performance evaluations are hell! It wasn't until I started having to_ _ **write**_ _the damn things that I realized the true horror of them!_ ' "I'm going to be here for the rest of my life!" she said as she cried anime tears.

….

 **The Fairbanks residence**

The Fairbanks family was having dinner. It was a Vulcan's worst nightmare: beef tacos. Naruto was eating a salad ( _with utensils_ ) quietly as the Fairbanks family fought tooth and nail in what the blonde would describe as a **_civil war_** over a meal called "Taco Crunch" which they ate _with their hands_. As Vulcan's _never_ touched their food with their hands Naruto had to hide his distaste at the scene. He was offered a thick, greasy beef taco by Allison's eldest brother William but the hybrid politely declined in favor of his vegetarian meal.

Alison's older sister Maria was glaring at Alison jealously and then switching to making eyes at Naruto. The blonde Vulcan noted that the two sisters closely resembled each other physically but after that all the similarities ended. Whereas Alison was brilliantly smart, genuinely outgoing and friendly; Maria seemed slow, mean spirited and downright acerbic. She didn't seem to be happy that Alison was there _at all_.

"So Ally finally came wandering home." said Alison's other brother Charles Junior (He went by Junior). "I told you all she would. We even kept your room the same Ally." he said in an upbeat tone.

Alison wanted to groan at the idea of moving back. "I'm just here to visit Junior. I have a job and a house on Planet Vulcan in ShiKhar City. I can't stay."

"How long are you going to be here then Ally?" asked her Mother in a concerned tone of voice.

Alison glanced at Naruto and he said, "We are required to be on hand for the proceedings at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. After that the _U.S.S. Darwin_ will be departing. We will be leaving Earth in two weeks at the latest."

" _U.S.S. Darwin_ is your ship Mister Naruto?" asked Maria with big eyes.

Rolling her own eyes, Alison thought; ' _Making eyes at Naruto doesn't work well Maria; I've tried_.'

"The _Darwin_ is the ship I'm currently assigned to." stated Naruto.

"It must be amazing travelling through space." Maria said wistfully.

Alison wanted to make gagging noises at her sister's enthusiasm about Naruto. ' _Looking back, Maria always tried to take whatever I had even though she was two years older. Oh well, it's irrelevant in the grand scheme of things_.' thought the beautiful redhead.

"Won't you two be staying tonight?" asked Selena kindly. "There's plenty of room for you both."

"It is getting dark out so driving isn't as safe." added Charles helpfully.

Alison sighed. "I guess we could stay overnight." She looked at Naruto and asked, "Will that present any problems?"

Naruto said, "I'll contact the ship and get it cleared." The blonde excused himself and stepped outside to make the call.

Selena smiled and said, "Are you sure he isn't your boyfriend Alison? You two act like a couple and he is handsome. I even like his ears."

"Should I be jealous?" asked Charles in a cheeky tone.

"I like your ears too dear." said Selena sweetly. Her husband smiled and rolled his eyes.

" _He's not my boyfriend_ …." replied Alison in a tired voice.

"Then I hope you don't mind if _I_ take him Ally." said Maria haughtily.

Alison gave a rather vicious smile to her sister and said, "Good luck with that. Don't blame me if he knocks you out in self defense."

Maria looked a bit shocked at Alison's comment and the rest of the family was silent until Naruto came back inside.

"Everything is cleared." said Naruto. "Should something unexpected occur we'll beam up to the ship."

….

The next morning Naruto woke up at 05:00 as usual. He quickly got dressed and reflected on the not so great night's sleep he had. The blonde was used to sleeping on a firm cot both on Vulcan and in Starfleet. The Fairbanks family slept on huge, cushy feather beds and frankly Naruto tossed and turned all night. Standing up and doing some stretches to loosen his body up, Naruto went about making his daily log entry on his tablet:

 _Personal Log, Stardate 2273.090: My stay at the Fairbanks household has been an interesting one. Alison's family is friendly enough but are fundamentally different from Alison herself. The simply do not share her brilliance. I did ask her if there were other members in her family that are scientists and she said that she was the only one. I can tell that Alison feels somewhat alienated from her family from the way she reacts to them. Although leaving them behind without a trace was highly irresponsible and illogical of her I can understand her reasoning why_ ….

Naruto closed his tablet and got up. He found that everyone was still in bed except for Alison who was an early riser due to her job at the Vulcan Science Academy. She was dressed and her green eyes were bright. "Good morning Naruto." said the redhead.

"Good morning to you Alison." replied Naruto. "When do you want to set out for San Francisco?"

"I guess we should wait until after breakfast so I can tell my family goodbye." she answered. "I'll try to find something vegetarian for you to eat."

Naruto nodded. "Your efforts are appreciated." Soon the pair was discussing the properties of interphase space and the effects on the space-time continuum in detail. "….In whatever parallel universe the _U.S.S. Goeben_ slipped into time flowed at the same rate as our own." said the blonde. "It is most intriguing."

"Are you implying that interphase only ties into universes with the same rate of time as our own?" asked Alison.

The hybrid shook his head. "We have no evidence to support such a theorem. Besides, in an infinite number of universes the odds are incalculable as to how many have time flow at the same rate as our own."

Alison nodded, "I agree but there are other factors to consider. We don't know how long the _Goeben_ was in interphase or how long it was in a parallel universe. Does time actually flow in interphase or is it timeless void as is widely accepted? We have no proof either way."

"I agree with you but without isolating the factors which interphase-" Naruto stopped when he noticed Alison's family staring at him and Alison with swirls in their eyes. "May I help you?" asked the blonde.

Junior asked, "What on Earth are you talking about? I'm completely lost."

Naruto answered, "We were talking about the intrinsic properties unique to interphasic rifts."

The whole family looked to Alison for an explanation. She said, "We were talking about holes in the fabric of space-time itself and what they are like."

"Ooooh." said the entire Fairbanks family.

"I'm still completely lost." said Junior.

Alison sweat dropped and Naruto simply raised an eyebrow as he tended to do….

….

 **Starfleet Headquarters**

Doctor Naruto M'Fau and Doctor Alison Fairbanks were called in as expert witnesses on the Stasis Field Generator Project several more times during the next week as the Admiralty argued back and forth whether or not it was worth the money to continue the program at all. As it turned out the program's development costs had already gone into massive cost overruns and the money involved was considered ' _grossly mismanaged_.' The Project Director was forced to resign from his position and several members of the staff went with him. It was no longer a scientific matter but rather a bureaucratic one that would take months (if not years) to unravel. In the end the program was shut down ' _pending further review_ ….'

….

 **U.S.S. Darwin, Ship's lounge**

"So in the end it was all for naught." said Alison as she sat with her friends Naruto and T'Lyra. "The Stasis Field Generator Project is all but terminated. They asked me to do a case study but I've washed my hands of this mess. I don't like using my skills to develop weapons for anybody."

Naruto nodded in understanding and said, "It seems that the previous development team must have been quite corrupt to have gone through all those credits in a mere six years."

"I will never fully understand the concept of human greed." T"Lyra stated.

Alison grouched, "Greed runs rampant I'm afraid-and it isn't limited to humans. As advanced as our civilization has become some of the most basic things like war and greed still run strong. It doesn't make much sense in this day and age."

"Have you considered applying your knowledge about Stasis Fields towards other applications Alison?" asked T'Lyra.

Alison raised a delicate eyebrow and asked, "Such as?"

Naruto saw where his mate was going with this. "There are medical applications such as stasis beds. Senva's company EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals mentioned the idea as one their ' _dream projects_.' It would certainly be worth looking into."

The redhead smiled. "….And with you two backing it I could still work at the Vulcan Science Academy. I'll get with Senva when I get back to Vulcan."

"Sounds like a plan." said Naruto.

...

POSTSCRIPT:

*① See the TOS Episode " _The Tholian Web_."

Well, I originally wanted to use the _U.S.S. Defiant (NCC-1764)_ rather than the _U.S.S. Goeben (NCC-1018)_ because it vanished into interphase in the old series. However, the _Defiant_ later turned up in the mirror universe in an episode of Enterprise so I dropped that idea and chose the _U.S.S. Goeben_ as it was of an older generation of ships and few have heard of it. I suppose it's academic from the point of view of just story telling but details like that are important to yours truly. I also briefly considered making the _Goeben_ come from the Mirror Universe as _I.S.S. Goeben_ of the Terran Empire but I decided opening that can of worms was something I didn't want to do (at least at this point).

In the next chapter or two we're going to have a time skip and start a new arc so I'm going to be brainstorming on that. See you next time. Blue out. 5/13/18


	35. Chapter 35

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

At last we've reached the graduation of the Think Tank! This is the beginning of a new arc and starts after a year long time skip. Here is chapter 35. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

For those of you keeping track; here is an updated timeline:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 James T. Kirk Born

Stardate 2236. = 2236 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched

Stardate 2248. = 2248 = Y138 Shizuka Nadeshiko Born

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 NCC-1371 U.S.S. Republic (CA) Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise (CA) 5 year Mission (TOS)

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's koon-ut-la

Stardate 2271. = 2271 = Y161 Naruto and T'Lyra enter Starfleet

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 V'Ger Incident (Star Trek I)

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 End of Naruto's first semester/Naruto and T'Lyra return to Vulcan

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 Subcommander Kurenai promoted to her first command, the RIS Scimitar (K5R)

Stardate 2273. = 2273 = Y163 Cadet Cruise aboard NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin (GSC)

Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Naruto graduates Starfleet Academy

Last time:

 ** _U.S.S. Darwin, Ship's lounge_**

 _"So in the end it was all for naught." said Alison as she sat with her friends Naruto and T'Lyra. "The Stasis Field Generator Project is all but terminated. They asked me to do a case study but I've washed my hands of this mess. I don't like using my skills to develop weapons for anybody."_

 _Naruto nodded in understanding and said, "It seems that the previous development team must have been quite corrupt to have gone through all those credits in a mere six years."_

 _"I will never fully understand the concept of human greed." T'Lyra stated._

 _Alison grouched, "Greed runs rampant I'm afraid-and it isn't limited to humans. As advanced as our civilization has become some of the most basic things like war and greed still run strong. It doesn't make much sense in this day and age."_

 _"Have you considered applying your knowledge about Stasis Fields towards other applications Alison?" asked T'Lyra._

 _Alison raised a delicate eyebrow and asked, "Such as?"_

 _Naruto saw where his mate was going with this. "There are medical applications such as stasis beds. Senva's company EpiCenter Pharmaceuticals mentioned the idea as one their '_ _dream projects_ _.' It would certainly be worth looking into."_

 _The redhead smiled. "….And with you two backing it I could still work at the Vulcan Science Academy. I'll get with Senva when I get back to Vulcan."_

 _"Sounds like a plan." said Naruto_.

….

Chapter 35

 **Stardate 2274.090 Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Planet Earth**

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2274.090: My fellow_ _Think Tank_ _Cadets and I have finally graduated Starfleet Academy. I am now ranked as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade). I completely skipped over the Ensign rank due to graduating in the top three in my class. Doctor Shelly Wilson and Samui Schrodinger also received this honor. Rear Admiral Harold Pye presided over the ceremony for the_ _Think Tank_ _and personally pinned our rank pins upon us which was a great privilege. I finished the New Light Cruiser design in the last six months and the construction of the Fast Cruiser_ _NCC-1602 U.S.S. Wolverine_ _has finally begun. It evokes a great deal of satisfaction in me to see a ship I designed going into production. The_ _Wolverine_ _is scheduled to be completed in three years in 2277_. _Having completed our Academic courses we are now officially ready to join the fleet…._

The Command Team of the _Think Tank_ was talking together and Naruto was reflecting on his performance so far and wondering what the future held. ' _Soon I'll be assigned to shipboard duty. I wonder who will be with me and what ship I'll be on_.'

"A credit for your thoughts?" asked Samui. The beautiful blonde augment girl was immensely pleased to have graduated in the top three. She gave a genuine smile to Naruto and said, "We haven't done too badly for a bunch of nineteen and twenty year olds."

The blonde Vulcan nodded in agreement. "No, we have not. I have to wonder if the _Think Tank_ will be kept together or spread out through the fleet. A lot of talk has been generated by our superiors on the subject."

Rafi came over and said, "I know right? The fact they are discussing it so openly makes me wonder." Rafi motioned to M'rella who was walking up with a sway in her hips. "What do you think M'rella?"

"Hmmm…." purred the beautiful Caitian girl. "I personally hope we stay together. We have all become such good friends that I'd hate to be separated."

"I'm forced to agree." said Shar. "Our particular class is so small that keeping our tight knit little group together shouldn't present any problems." The Andorian turned to Naruto. "What do you think would be the _logical_ answer my friend?"

Naruto pondered for a moment and said, "Logical arguments could be made for both keeping us together and separating us. You also have to take into account that the Admiralty doesn't always follow the precepts of logic."

Shar nodded. "Good point."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." said Rafi.

….

 **Stardate 2274.093 Starfleet Headquarters**

Academy Commandant Rear Admiral Harold Pye was sitting in with his fellow Admirals discussing what to do with the _Think Tank_. With him was his old friend Admiral Wallace and Admiral Barnes. "It's come to my attention that the much lauded _Think Tank_ has graduated with flying colors." said Barnes. "They are the best and brightest group of Cadets to have come out of Starfleet Academy in decades. Now the question is; what do we _do_ with them?"

Admiral Wallace scratched his goatee. "They did a superb job during their tour of duty on the _U.S.S. Darwin_. Any one of them could have received their commissions at the end of that cruise but they all chose to go back to the Academy to complete their educations. It's safe to say that they would excel on a Galactic Survey Cruiser or a Heavy Cruiser."

"That's assuming we keep them together as a group." said Admiral Barnes. "It might be better to spread them out through the fleet than put all our eggs in one proverbial basket."

Admiral Pye drummed his fingers and said, "One of the greatest strengths of the _Think Tank_ is their cohesiveness as a group. Keeping them together when they enter the fleet might be in the best interests of all parties concerned."

"What about the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ that is being fitted out?" asked Admiral Wallace.

Barnes was puzzled. "You mean the ' _optimized_ ' Heavy Command Cruiser?*①"

Admiral Pye touched a few buttons and a holographic image of a brand new Constitution II Class Cruiser appeared. "The new _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_ is considered somewhat experimental at this point….It might be the ideal ship for the _Think Tank_ to be on." said the Commandant. "It's as close to cutting edge as a _Constitution II_ Class Cruiser can get. It has more weapons, more power and better shielding. It will be ready to leave dock in three weeks and the _Think Tank_ is ready to ship out." He thumbed through the ship's roster. ' _Besides, some of the command crew they already know from their cadet cruise on the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_.'

….

 **Tranquility Base Shipyards, Luna Orbit, FRD-8,** **Bridge,** ** _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

CHAOS! That was the only word that fit the situation in the head of the newly minted Captain Asuma Sarutobi. Other than his Chief of Security Shizuka Nadeshiko and his Chief Engineer Sassaav everyone on the ship was new to him and half of the people aboard were just there to finish construction before they moved to the next job. Worse still Starfleet had yet to assign the rest of the department heads and there were very few junior officers to take up the slack.

Shizuka came onto the bridge and weaved her way around the enlisted workers before she said to Asuma, "I have good news and bad news sir."

Asuma cringed. "What's the good news Lieutenant Nadeshiko?"

"The full complement of Marines is aboard and the ship's crew master got them set up in their appropriate quarters." said Shizuka.

Captain Sarutobi grinned slightly and said, "That's excellent news Shizuka. What's the bad news then?"

"Every last one of them is green." growled Shizuka. "Every. Last. One. Worse still they reported in with no combat equipment and we don't have any to give them!"

"Have you filled out a requisition form for what we need to equip them Lieutenant Nadeshiko?" asked the goateed Captain Sarutobi.

Shizuka pulled out a tablet and said "Everything we need is on here sir. All it needs is your signature."

Asuma's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he read the requisition form. He asked incredulously, "What are you equipping Shizuka; an entire ** _legion_** of troops?"

The Vulcan security Chief shook her head curtly. "We were always under armed on the _Darwin_. I'm not letting it happen on the _Gettysburg_."

….

Down in Engineering, Chief Engineer Sassaav was watching over the construction crews as they installed some new plasma conduits to the warp engines. The first installation had been faulty and now the crew was doing it all over again. Luckily he was blessed with the presence of T'Lyra Tolaris who had recently been promoted to Petty Officer First Class. Her sidekick Brea Mathiun was aboard as well. ' _I can trust T'Lyra and Mathiun to get the job done right_.' thought the big Andorian as he oversaw the work being done. Amidst all the madness Sassaav was actually pretty happy despite his grouchy demeanor. He was on a brand new vessel that would be finished within three weeks and all things considered everything was right on schedule in engineering….

….

 **Stardate 2274.095 Starfleet Academy, Naruto and M'rella's Quarters**

M'rella got up early as usual and checked her messages. Everyone in the _Think Tank_ had been on needles and pins wondering where they'd be assigned. For the last five days since they graduated they'd been in a proverbial limbo wondering about their orders. It was then that she saw a message from Starfleet Command: _Notification of Transfer._ Opening the message she saw:

 _Notification of Transfer:_

 _Name: M'rella_

 _Rank: Ensign_

 _Serial Number: xxxx-xxxx-xxxx_

 _Orders: Ensign M'rella is hereby transferred from Starfleet Academy to the Heavy Command Cruiser_ _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _effective immediately. Report to Starfleet Academy Shuttle Landing Pad 16 at 05:00 as of Stardate 2274.096 for transport._

 _Starfleet Command_

….

A certain blonde Vulcan was awakened by a very excited M'rella whose assets were _barely_ staying in her kimono like robes given she was bouncing around in excitement so much. ' _What arousing visuals to wake up to_.' he thought absentmindedly.

"Naruto!" said the Caitian beauty in exhilaration. "I got my transfer orders! Get up; let's see if you got yours."

The blonde soon was up and sitting at the work desk the two roommates shared. He said aloud, "Notice of Transfer…. _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_ ….That's the new _Constitution II_ Class ship that is being built with heavier combat in mind." ' _T'Lyra said she's working on the_ _Gettysburg's_ _fitting out process over Luna. It seems this was planned in advance._ '

The Caitian girl sweat dropped. "You _would_ know off the top of your head what ship it is Naruto."

Naruto replied, "I work with the Starfleet Bureau of Design and Repair part of the time. I have to keep up with ship proposals and new construction to do my job."

Soon the entire _Think Tank_ was discussing being assigned together in the Dorm F mess hall. Everyone was going to the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_. They were all in a celebratory mood but there was no time to party. The entire _Think Tank_ had to pack up all of their belongings and be ready to go in the morning….

….

The next morning at 05:00 the _Think Tank_ was at Starfleet Academy Shuttle Landing Pad 16 as ordered. Two heavy shuttles landed there and announcements were made that they would be departing for the _U.S.S Gettysburg_ and to have all transfer orders ready to present. As it was Kloene was fighting to stay awake and presented his orders before stumbling aboard and sitting down beside Naruto. The big Orion said to the blonde Vulcan, "Wake me up when we get there." and then he immediately fell asleep.

Naruto watched the viewport as the shuttle lifted off and the blue skies of Earth soon gave way to the stars and velvety blackness of space. Earth's moon Luna soon came into view and before long the telltale glints of objects in orbit of Luna became visible. Naruto looked at the various Fleet Repair Docks and space stations in orbit over Tranquility Base Shipyards and noted the shuttlecraft ahead of them was on course for a particular repair dock: FRD-8 which held within it the _U.S.S. Gettysburg,_ their new home.

….

 **Stardate 2274.096, Shuttle Bay,** ** _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

The pair of heavy shuttles with the _Think Tank_ aboard landed in the _Gettysburg's_ shuttle bay without any problems and everyone unloaded their gear. The blonde Vulcan felt his mate's warm psychic presence aboard the ship as he disembarked. ' _T'Lyra is already on board the ship; excellent. I cannot wait to see her_.' The members of the _Think Tank_ were pleasantly surprised with their Junior Officer's quarters aboard the _Gettysburg_. Each one of them had individual quarters instead of having a roommate. They really weren't given time to unpack and in two hours all of the ship's officers*② were to report to the ships observation deck for their assignments.

Captain Asuma Sarutobi came out to greet his officers and gave a short speech on the expectations he had for the ship and crew. The goateed man was pleasantly surprised to see the members of the _Think Tank_ among his crewmembers. He remembered Rafi, Samui and M'rella in particular because they were often on the bridge of the _U.S.S. Darwin_. He also remembered Naruto and Kloene because the pair cleaned house in the Chess Championships on the _Darwin_. Lastly he remembered Doctor Shelly Wilson very well for patching him up after an amazingly acrobatic fall on the _Darwin's_ bridge. Coming out of his brief reminiscing, Asuma introduced the senior staff which was only Sassaav and Shizuka at the time. Though he didn't show it; the Captain was rather embarrassed that they didn't have a First Officer, Head of Sciences or a Chief Medical Officer….

….

Naruto was soon looking over his duty schedule. ' _I'm going to be serving in Command, Sciences and Engineering_ _ **as needed**_ _. The only sections I'm not assigned in are Medical, Communications and Security. I suppose the best thing to do would be to familiarize myself with the ship's layout as I'm going to be everywhere_.'

That was when Naruto saw the lovely visage of Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko come strolling up to him. She smiled warmly and said, "Welcome aboard the _Gettysburg_ Lieutenant Naruto. You don't know how glad I am to see you again. I've missed you."

"Thank you; I am glad to see you in good health Lieutenant Nadeshiko." said Naruto.

"After you and T'Lyra get moved into your quarters together come have dinner with me." said the Earth raised Vulcan with a wink. They heard her name called and Shizuka's relaxed and friendly posture became ridged and stern. She said, "Duty calls Lieutenant Naruto. Until later then."

 _'It seems S'Loren is as emotional as ever_.' thought Naruto. ' _I think I'll head down to engineering to greet my mate properly assuming she has the time_.'

….

The blonde Vulcan came off the turbolift onto the main Engineering Deck and looked about for his mate T'Lyra only to be noticed in turn by Chief Engineer Sassaav. "Well, well! Naruto, I see you made it to Lieutenant Junior Grade." said Sassaav as he slapped the whisker striped blonde on the back. "Well done."

"Thank you for your praise Chief Sassaav." responded Naruto. "It is good to see you again."

"You must have come down to inspect the warp field projections." said the big Andorian. Naruto didn't get a chance to respond as Sassaav led him over to a projection of the ship. "With the primary hull having an emergency warp engine the parameters are a bit different but I think we have a pretty good compromise…."

' _Chief Sassaav is as presumptuous as ever_ ….' thought Naruto.

T'Lyra watched from the deck above where she was inspecting the seal on a plasma conduit. ' _It seems the Chief has kidnapped my mate_.' she thought with a mental smile. She psychically called him and asked, ' _Where are your quarters my love? I'll find you after I get off duty_.'

Naruto mentally sighed. ' _I had hoped to greet you properly but it seems that I'm occupied. My quarters are in E-89 on the Starboard side_.'

T'Lyra said with a mental raise of her eyebrows, ' _So you finally made it out the crew areas up into the Junior Officer's deck. I'm right below you in F-91A. We'll get things cleared with the ship's crew master and I'll move in soon. Back to work Naruto_.' she added with a mental smile.

Naruto was soon helping Chief Engineer Sassaav fine tune the warp field on the _Gettysburg_. Naruto found a number of irregularities that he couldn't leave alone until they were fixed and that ended up taking up the rest of his morning….

….

 **Officer's Mess**

Lieutenant (JG) Samui Schrodinger and Ensign Rafi flagged down Naruto as he came in for some lunch. "Over here Naruto!" said Rafi enthusiastically.

Samui growled, "Show some decorum _Ensign_ Rafi. We're in the _fleet_ now!"

Rafi pouted. "It's just Naruto…."

Naruto came over with a Terran vegetarian dish he couldn't quite identify from the replicator in hand and sat down with his friends Samui and Rafi. "Hello Samui, Rafi. I trust your morning was productive?

Samui nodded. "Yes, we unpacked and got our quarters arranged. I'm assuming you did the same?"

"Actually I went to engineering and was drafted by Chief Engineer Sassaav into correcting a few problems with the warp field." replied the hybrid.

Rafi and Samui sweat dropped. "You might want to arrange your quarters while you still have time." said Rafi. "On that note, we're going to check out the bridge after lunch. Do you want to come with us?"

Naruto said, "Certainly I will join you. I'm finished with my tasks in Engineering and will unpack this evening."

….

 **Deck E, Naruto's Quarters**

That evening; Naruto was unpacking his gear after a long day of exploring the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ with his friends Samui, Rafi and M'rella. Now he was eagerly awaiting his lovely mate T'Lyra's arrival….

He heard a knock on his door and found T'Lyra there. She was dirty from work but had fresh clothes in a bag from her quarters. T'Lyra said, "I thought I'd come shower over here." Naruto pulled her into his quarters and locked his door before kissing her passionately against the wall. She opened her mouth and their tongues dueled as they caressed each other's bodies heatedly….

"It has been three whole months since we've been together…." panted out Naruto as they came up for air.

"Let's make up for lost time then…." whispered T'Lyra in return.

….

 **Stardate 2274.117, Bridge,** ** _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

After three weeks of what could only be considered a frenzy of activity later the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ left Fleet Repair Dock 8 for her Shakedown Cruise. That same day Commander Mabui Kumo reported in as First Officer. She was a very competent and respectful officer in her late twenties and Asuma had high hopes for her. Her previous service had been in staff positions and she was highly praised by her former superiors. Mabui looked very professional as well. Her unusual light gray hair contrasted with her mocha complexion and green eyes giving her an exotic appearance. She had a cool headed, unflappable style of command. Commander Kumo was aboard the bridge when the _Gettysburg_ launched.

Doctor Shelly Wilson was their acting Chief Medical Officer and in Asuma Sarutobi's opinion she was doing an outstanding job. The ship's sick bay was up; well supplied and running smoothly. Between Shelly and Doctor Gregory Hammond from the _Think Tank_ everyone was being taken care of in a professional manner with a high level of excellence.

As far as the Chief Sciences Officer was concerned; Captain Sarutobi was in a bit of a quandary. He had a full Lieutenant named Wanda Hardy that was _barely_ adequate in charge as acting Chief Sciences Officer. Immediately subordinate to her was Lieutenant (JG) Naruto M'Fau who was a far better officer and scientist. Worse still; Wanda was jealous of Naruto's skill and was constantly locking horns and competing with him. For his part Naruto simply considered Lieutenant Hardy a particularly illogical annoyance….

….

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.148: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting._ _NCC-1728 Gettysburg_ _has gone through its first month of the Shakedown Cruise with remarkably little trouble. We've only had 83 issues so far -all of which were minor in nature which is quite remarkable for a brand new cruiser. We are now in the Gamma Charybdis System investigating transmissions of an unknown nature. The last ship which was in this vicinity was the_ _U.S.S. Attila NCC-532_ _*③ that disappeared as of four years ago as of Stardate 2270.150. Looking at the history of the_ _Attila_ _she was under the Command of a new Captain named Douglas Ramsey who I was acquainted with at Starfleet Academy. I remember him mainly for being fearless. There was a massive search for the_ _U.S.S. Attila_ _before it was finally assumed destroyed_ ….

Naruto was at the sciences station monitoring the transmissions in tandem with M'rella at the communication station. Mabui was in the Command chair and asked, "Lieutenant Naruto have you had any luck? We've been trawling for the source of the signal for several hours now."

The blonde hybrid answered, "I'm triangulating the position of the signal's source Commander Kumo. I have been on duty for less than 60 minutes and the previous data we gathered is useless so I was forced to start over."

Mabui thought to herself, ' _Lieutenant Hardy's four hour search was a huge waste of time then. We need to straighten out this issue with Sciences as soon as possible. Naruto is clearly the better choice but busting ranks with Hardy is something that won't look good on a new Captain's record…_.'

M'rella reported, "I've matched the signal strength to your specifications Naruto. You should be able to make the calculations now."

Naruto replied, "Excellent. I'm projecting the location on screen now."

The screen lit up with a triangle showing the various signal strengths of the transmissions and inside the triangle was a point where the source of the transmissions was. Mabui sa to Rafi, "Ahead one half impulse power towards the object making the transmissions Ensign Rafi. Naruto, get a sensor lock as soon as possible."

"Aye, Commander." chorused the two junior officers.

10 minutes later the object was on screen at maximum magnification. It was just a small object in space made of metal. "All stop" ordered Mabui. "Naruto; see if you can identify the object."

"It appears to be a Federation Type I probe." said Naruto "It is modified in several ways but I am unable to ascertain the purpose in the modifications. The only way to examine it further would be to bring the probe aboard."

Mabui rubbed her chin and said, "Captain to the Bridge!"

Within a minute Asuma came on to the bridge with a purpose in his step. "Report Commander Kumo."

Mabui stood up from the command chair so Asuma could take his seat. "It appears that we are dealing with a modified Federation Type I probe."

"Could it be from the _Attila?_ " asked Captain Sarutobi.

"We won't be able to tell until we bring it aboard sir." answered Mabui.

"Let's bring it into the shuttle bay for examination then…." said Asuma.

….

The battered probe was soon brought into the _Gettysburg's_ shuttle bay where Naruto and Kloene immediately started their examination. After a cursory assessment Kloene said, "It's definitely from the _U.S.S. Attila_. It's been modified with external memory modules probably to act as a log buoy."

Naruto looked up from the probe and said, "The memory modules are intact. I would advise removing them so we can view the messages recorded on them."

"Make it so." said Asuma.

The probe's contents were soon being displayed on the viewscreen of the _Gettysburg's_ bridge….

….

 _PLAYBACK…._

 _"We're entering the Gamma Charybdis system now Captain Ramsey." said Lieutenant Rafi as she adjusted their speed slightly. "We're continuing to get odd readings from the asteroid belt."_

 _PLAYBACK PAUSED…._

….

"What on Earth?" Rafi practically screeched. "How am I on the screen and a full Lieutenant?"

Mabui said calmly, "Let's watch the entire playback and then we can discuss it Ensign Rafi."

"Aye, Commander." said Rafi in a haunted tone.

….

 _PLAYBACK RESUMED…._

 _Captain Ramsey grinned. "I think Commander Naruto has you a bit spooked Rafi. It's probably just radioactive decay. Trust me, there will be no trouble. Once we test and calibrate the sensors on Charybdis IV we'll be out of this system anyway."_

 _"Sorry sir." said Rafi. It was obvious that the Trill girl was very worried. Naruto came onto the bridge and said, "The sensors are ready for calibration Captain. It should take one standard hour once we are in geosynchronous orbit over Charybdis IV."_

 _"Excellent Commander." said Ramsey in an upbeat tone._

 _That was when the first asteroid 'shower' hit the_ _Attila_ _at warp speeds…._

 _…._

 _Auxiliary Control_

 _The_ _U.S.S. Attila_ _was spinning wildly out of control and Samui had lost all contact with the bridge. She took over the auxiliary helm controls as another asteroid shower slammed into the_ _Attila_ _causing a massive explosion aft. Stabilizing the ship, Samui said, "M'rella, get me damage reports. We've lost contact with the bridge and I'm assuming command!"_

 _"Damage reports are flowing in from everywhere Lieutenant Commander Schrodinger." said M'rella. "Our warp power is offline!"_

 _The emergency turbolift from the bridge opened and the half frozen Rafi came tumbling out. She was badly shaken up. Naruto was right behind her. He said hoarsely, "Blow the warp engine and go to sublight engine evasion. We stumbled into a covert Jindarian*④ mining operation. They mean to destroy u-" Naruto fell forward showing his back was horribly burned and some of his ribs were showing. Green blood was everywhere. On top of that his body was partially frozen from exposure to open space…._

 _"_ _ **NARUTO!**_ _" screamed Samui._

 _…._

 _It was a nightmare. Naruto shielded Rafi with his body from certain death when the bridge blew and pushed her into the turbolift. Everyone else up on the bridge was killed. The_ _Attila's_ _saucer section limped away from the slaughter and eventually made an emergency landing in the ocean of Charybdis IV. A third of the crew was lost and the_ _U.S.S. Attila_ _sat silently at the bottom of the sea…._

 _…._

 _PLAYBACK END…._

 _…._

"What the hell did we just see….? asked Rafi. How could we possibly be aboard the _U.S.S. Attila_ four years ago?" The Trill girl was very shaken up seeing herself possibly dying.

Naruto suggested, "We may be looking at a _U.S.S. Attila_ from another timeline. I can think of no other logical explanation that members of the _Think Tank_ would be aboard that vessel."

Samui looked positively spooked. Seeing Naruto die on screen was horrible.

Mabui said, "Whether the _Attila_ is from an alternate timeline or not we need to go to Charybdis IV and see if we can mount a rescue. The coordinates of the ship's crash landing site are in the readout."

Captain Sarutobi nodded and said, "Plot a course for Charybdis IV. Hopefully we'll find something."

….

 **Planet Charybdis IV, Ocean,** ** _NCC-532 U.S.S. Attila_**

"….Rafi…. Rafi; are you awake?" asked a child's voice.

Rafi cracked her dark brown eyes open only to find a pair of ice blue eyes staring into her own in the low light of night. The Trill woman groaned and said "What time is it Siegfried?"

The platinum blonde haired, whisker faced boy said, "Ummm….the wall chronometer says zero-two-zero-six Rafi."

"02:06 means it's time for little boys and girls to sleep Ziggy." said Rafi tiredly.

"But I'm awake." said Siegfried. "I want to play." He had a gleam in his eye as his chakra crackled.

Rafi sat up in her bed and picked up the very precocious three year old boy. He looked just like Samui except for the Vulcan features and three whisker marks on each cheek that he'd inherited from Naruto. She held him close and said, "You are so full of mischief little boy. If I hold you for a little while will you go to sleep?"

Siegfried rubbed his eyes and yawned. "But I'm not sleepy Rafi."

The young Trill woman laid back down and held the boy as she rubbed his back. Before long he was sleeping peacefully in Rafi's arms….

….

….Samui had died in childbirth. She left behind her and Naruto's beautiful baby boy who she named Siegfried after her own Father. His full name was Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger. Samui didn't even realize she was pregnant when the _U.S.S._ _Attila_ went down. Now _Acting Captain_ Rafi was taking the rambunctious toddler to the daycare section that was converted on the _Attila_. After the forced landing couples started pairing off to prove to themselves they'd survived which resulted in a miniature population explosion. The 118 remaining crewmembers managed to have 51 children between the ages of a few months to three years old. _'I never signed up to run a ship full of children_.' thought Rafi dourly. Then she smiled down at the little boy walking beside her excitedly. ' _He gets cuter every day."_

….

 **Planet Charybdis IV, Orbit,** ** _NCC-1728 Gettysburg_**

The entire bridge crew was on high alert when Naruto looked up from the sensor station and said, "I found her. The _U.S.S. Attila_ is showing life signs."

Captain Sarutobi sighed in relief. "It looks like we have a rescue to conduct. M'rella, open hailing frequencies and contact the _Attila_."

….

The contact between the two ships was awkward at first. Acting Captain Rafi of the _Attila_ remembered Captain Asuma Sarutobi from her cruise on the _U.S.S. Darwin_ but was shocked to see her fellow _Think Tank_ comrades alive and well again….not to mention a four year younger version of _herself_.

"We believe that your _Attila_ is from a different timeline from our own Lieutenant Rafi." explained Asuma. "Nevertheless you are a Federation ship in need of assistance and the _Gettysburg_ is here to help you."

Lieutenant Rafi replied, "We'd basically given up hope. Your help is welcome." She looked at Naruto and Samui and said with a gleam in her eye, "I have a surprise for you two." Then she smiled and added humorously, "Ensign Rafi, I'm happy to make my acquaintance."

Samui groaned at the _other_ Rafi's sense of humor being as bad as their _own_ Rafi and wondered about the surprise. Then she thought about her own counterpart. ' _Did the other Samui Schrodinger die in the crash?_ ' wondered the blonde bombshell.

….

The Hospital Ship _NCC-948 Refuge_ was on its way to help with the survivors from the _Attila_ and salvage ships were on their way as well to see if the _Attila's_ saucer could be raised. In the meantime the _Attila's_ refugees were being brought aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ for safety.

Lieutenant Rafi beamed aboard the _Gettysburg_ with a little boy holding her hand and saluted Captain Sarutobi. "Welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ Lieutenant Rafi." said Asuma. Asuma saw the whisker marks on the little boy and asked, "Is this your son?!"

The older Rafi chuckled and said, "He's my ward." She turned to the little blonde boy and said, "Ziggy, make your introductions to Captain Sarutobi."

The little boy nodded and he said, "I'm Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger and I'm three years old. I'm happy to meet you Captain Sarutobi."

Asuma's eyes nearly fell out of his head but he retained his composure….barely. "It's nice to meet you young Siegfried. Welcome aboard the _Gettysburg_."

….

POSTCRIPT:

*① Heavy Command Cruiser. The _U.S.S._ _Gettyburg_ is the first of this new _Constitution II_ Sub-Class. It is externally almost identical to the refitted _Enterprise_ with the addition of two forward phasers. Internally there are a lot of improvements though. It can be seen on Memory Beta.

*② Ship's officers and crew: The number of officers and crew are tough to make a call on. This is one of the areas that is really foggy in Star Trek and is widely different by the source. According to _TOS_ there were a total of 428 Officers and crew aboard under Kirk's command but there are no listings of how many were officers that I can find. _Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise_ (An admittedly _non_ canon source) says the refitted Enterprise has 72 Officers out of a crew of 500. Given the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ is a Command Cruiser the _Star Fleet Battles_ reckoning is 450 so sticking with the ratio from _Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise_ that gives us 65 officers and 385 crew. I'm really not 100% sure on this but unless I find a definitive source I'm rolling with these numbers. The main thing story wise is the _Think Tank_ is a good chunk of the junior officers but certainly not all of them.

*③ Google: "Federation Saladin NCC-500 destroyer" to see this ship's appearance.

*④The Jindarians are a humanoid race that have been in space, flying huge ships built from hollow asteroids, for 100,000 years. They care little about borders, governments, and wars and just travel from system to system, mining asteroid belts. They push aside any competition using their warp augmented railguns to fire thousands of cubic meters of gravel and rock at opposing ships.

There was originally going to be a major love scene between Naruto and T'Lyra in this chapter but it just didn't seem to fit the mood of the chapter well so I dropped it and left things to the reader's imaginations. Okay, this chapter is a turning point for several reasons. We finally are out of the Academy Arc and in space for real now. We also have the (sort of) beginnings of a harem. Who all will be in the harem? Not sure at this point but it won't be huge. Next chapter we'll see everyone's reaction to little Siegfried. See you next time. Blue out. 5/18/18


	36. Chapter 36

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

We broke 1,000 reviews last chapter so I'd like to thank everybody for their continued support! Also, just a note because the question was asked. The Starfleet Uniforms are still from The Original Series at this point. The Wrath of Khan style Crimson Uniforms are still 4 years off in 2278. I skipped the uniforms from the Star Trek I movie in the name of personal taste. Here is chapter 36. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _Lieutenant Rafi replied, "We'd basically given up hope. Your help is welcome." She looked at Naruto and Samui and said with a gleam in her eye, "I have a surprise for you two." Then she smiled and added humorously, "Ensign Rafi, I'm happy to make my acquaintance."_

 _Samui groaned at the_ _other_ _Rafi's sense of humor being as bad as their_ _own_ _Rafi and wondered about the surprise. Then she thought about her own counterpart. '_ _Did the other Samui Schrodinger die in the crash?_ _' wondered the blonde bombshell._

 _…._

 _The Hospital Ship_ _NCC-948 Refuge_ _was on its way to help with the survivors from the_ _Attila_ _and salvage ships were on their way as well to see if the_ _Attila's_ _saucer could be raised. In the meantime the_ _Attila's_ _refugees were being brought aboard the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _for safety._

 _Lieutenant Rafi beamed aboard the_ _Gettysburg_ _with a little boy holding her hand and saluted Captain Sarutobi. "Welcome aboard the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _Lieutenant Rafi." said Asuma. Asuma saw the whisker marks on the little boy and asked, "Is this your son?!"_

 _The older Rafi chuckled and said, "He's my ward." She turned to the little blonde boy and said, "Ziggy, make your introductions to Captain Sarutobi."_

 _The little boy nodded and he said, "I'm Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger and I'm three years old. I'm happy to meet you Captain Sarutobi."_

 _Asuma's eyes nearly fell out of his head but he retained his composure….barely. "It's nice to meet you young Siegfried. Welcome aboard the_ _Gettysburg_ _."_

….

Chapter 36

 **Stardate 2274.151** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.151: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. We have been carefully going over the records of the_ _U.S.S. Attila_ _and have found that of the original 200 people aboard her that 80% of the crewmembers were the same in both timelines. The remaining 20% were all either from other ships or not in Starfleet at all. There does not seem to be any correlation as to why some personnel are different or why the ages of some of the crew are different. Of the 118 survivors the percentages are roughly the same. Lieutenant Rafi is the only survivor of the_ _Think Tank_ _that was aboard the_ _Attila_ _. She is also the only person with a counterpart aboard the_ _Gettysburg_ _so we are fortunate not to have a bunch of sudden sets of twins aboard….And of course there is no accounting for all of the children who now are using the_ _Gettysburg_ _as a playground. They never came into being in our timeline…._

Lieutenant Rafi and Siegfried were being introduced to Ensign Rafi face to face under the careful guidance of the Ship's Counselor, Ensign Ino Yamanaka. Ino was worried that it might be too much for the two Trill women to handle alone.

The Trill Lieutenant and Ensign both suddenly said, "Secret Trill handshake!" and proceeded to shake hands in a bizarre set of hand grips before they finally bumped elbows and burst into laughter. "You really are me!" they chorused. "This is awesome!"

Ino cringed and thought, ' _I shouldn't have even bothered_ …."

Ensign Rafi kneeled down in front of little Siegfried and said, "And who might this little cutie be?" ' _Judging by the whisker marks and the platinum blonde hair_ ….'

The little blonde boy looked between the two Rafi's in awe and said to his guardian, "There _really are_ two of you Rafi!"

"I told you so Ziggy!" said the Lieutenant. "Why don't you tell Lil' Rafi here who you are?"

Siegfried cleared his throat and turned to Ensign Rafi. "I'm Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger and I'm three years old." He smiled shyly and added, "I'm glad to meet you."

The Ensign chuckled and said, "I'm glad to meet you too Ziggy!" she looked at the Lieutenant and said, "So Naruto and Samui…?"

The elder Rafi said, "It's a long story but yes."

….

 **Sickbay**

Doctors Shelly Wilson and Gregory Hammond were very busy giving physicals and checking over the crew of the _U.S.S. Attila_ and the many children. Shelly said, "So far all of the crew of the Attila has been in remarkably good shape physically with no signs of sickness or malnutrition." It was obvious Doctor Wilson was pleased. "There are signs of mental fatigue and they will all need psychiatric checks but considering what they went through that is to be expected."

" _Bridge to Sickbay_." said Mabui over the communicator.

Shelly activated the viewscreen on her desk and said, "Doctor Wilson here; go ahead Commander Kumo."

Mabui replied, " _The Hospital Ship_ _Refuge_ _has been diverted due to an emergency so our extra passengers are going to be with us a little while longer. I need to know your medical supply situation_."

"We'll be heading for the nearest Starbase then?" asked Shelly.

" _That's correct Doctor_." answered Mabui. " _We're an estimated fourteen days out from Starbase 15_."

Doctor Wilson replied, "We should be good on supplies except for pediatric ones. "I would advise we draw off the supplies that they synthesized for the children aboard the _Attila_. They are bound to have some stocks there."

Mabui nodded on screen. " _That's an excellent idea Doctor. I'll forward it to the Captain. Bridge out_."

"Sickbay out." acknowledged Shelly.

Doctor Hammond came over and said, "So the Commander was wondering if we are going to run out of diapers eh?

Shelly grinned and said, "We're fortunate she stays on top of these things. Captain Sarutobi really has his hands full right now."

….

 **Outside Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters**

Lieutenant Rafi made sure to gather Samui and Naruto as soon as she could so they could meet their little son. What she didn't know about was T'Lyra….

That was when Ensign Rafi accidentally dropped a bomb on her older 'twin.' The younger whispered, "What do you mean T'Lyra _died_ in your timeline? She's alive and well and _inside_ waiting for us!"

The older Rafi was perspiring heavily. "T'Lyra died in a construction accident saving other's lives. Naruto fell into despair but eventually moved on to Samui…."

"Oh. My. Gawd." said the younger. "What are we going to do about this?"

"Ummm….I don't have a clue." said the Lieutenant.

"Are we going to go in Rafi?" asked Siegfried. "It's boring out here in the hall."

The younger Rafi said, "We made a slight miscalculation Ziggy. Do you know what a miscalculation is?" she added trying to distract the little blonde.

Siegfried crossed his arms cutely and said, "A miscalculation is an error or misjudgment by definition."

The younger Rafi sweat dropped and thought to herself, ' _Good god, the brat's a genius just like his parents. Why am I not surprised?_ '

About that time the door to Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters opened. It was T'Lyra. The beautiful Vulcan brunette said, "I sensed a great deal of stress being projected out here. Is everything alright?" T'Lyra looked at the younger Rafi who looked worried, the older Rafi who looked like she'd seen a ghost and then at the little boy with them. It didn't take her logical mind long to put two and two together. ' _Naruto's whisker marks and Vulcan features….ice blue eyes and straight platinum blonde hair just like Samui_ ….' "Hello there young one; I am T'Lyra Tolaris, what might your name be?"

The boy looked a bit nervous but answered, "I'm Siegfried Schrodinger; it is nice to meet you Miss T'Lyra."

Inside her head T'Lyra was in shock but she covered it with a stoic expression. "It's a pleasure to meet you Siegfried. Please come in."

Naruto was sitting at the table with Samui waiting for T'Lyra to return. He'd already prepared Vulcan Spiced Tea and had two extra teacups on hand for Rafi and….the other Rafi. He could sense his mate's discomfort and went to go to her but T'Lyra told him mentally to 'stay seated and to brace himself.' The blonde hybrid thought ' _brace myself…?_ '

A second later both the older and younger versions of Rafi entered behind T'Lyra with the elder carrying a little blonde haired boy. Samui gave one of her minimal smiles and thought, ' _What a beautiful child_.' That's when she saw Siegfried's Vulcan features and his whisker marks. She gasped and said, "Rafi, your little boy-"

The older Rafi interrupted and said, "Actually he's you and Naruto's son Samui."

Samui's ice blue eyes grew to epic proportions and the normally unflappable blonde augment women squeaked out, "M-m-m-mine?!"

Naruto stayed impassive but his eyes lit up with crackling chakra. "This little one is….my son?"

Siegfried squealed excitedly as he saw someone else whose eyes lit up with chakra like his. His own eyes crackled with chakra. He quickly turned to Rafi and said, "His eyes light up like mine Rafi!"

The older Rafi smiled weakly and said, "Naruto and Samui, this is Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger. He is your son in my timeline. He's three."

Naruto stared comatose at the older Rafi and Samui fainted dead away….

"I think we broke Samui…." said the younger Rafi in a distressed tone.

"What did you expect to happen?" asked T'Lyra in a flat but disapproving tone.

The older Rafi set the wriggling Siegfried down who immediately tore over to Naruto and said, "Are you really my Daddy?"

Naruto looked at the little boy who had hope glowing in his ice blue eyes. Naruto said, "That would be the logical conclusion."

"Your name is Naruto too?" asked the precocious child. "My middle name is Naruto!"

Naruto nodded and said, "My name is Naruto M'Fau."

Samui came back to the land of the conscious seconds later and said, "What the hell…?" Her ice blue eyes locked on the two Rafis and she growled, " ** _Rraaafffiii_** …."

The younger Rafi said, "Honest, little Ziggy is your baby boy!" she pointed at the child who had climbed into the lap of the dumbfounded Naruto and was looking at Samui.

"He looks just like you!" pleaded the older Rafi. "Honest!"

Samui stared into the ice blue eyes of the little boy that had stopped glowing by that point. They were identical to her own. Samui's expression softened as she looked at him and she asked, "What's your name little guy? I'm Samui Schrodinger."

The little whisker faced blonde said, "I'm Siegfried Schrodinger." He added shyly, "Are you my Momma?"

The beautiful blonde augment woman looked at Naruto who hesitantly nodded in the affirmative. Samui took the little boy's small hands in her larger ones and said, "You have my Papa's name…."

"I always wondered why you chose that name…." whispered the older Rafi. "I never had a chance to ask."

T'Lyra took Naruto's hand in her own and said, "It would be best to get a DNA scan done though I have little doubt based on appearances alone."

Naruto nodded and said, "That would be a logical course of action."

….

 **Captain's Ready Room**

Captain Asuma Sarutobi was looking over the reports and quickly came to the conclusion that Red Alert Drills were a _very bad idea_ with all of the children on board. ' _The last thing I want to do is scare all the little tykes_.' he thought ruefully. Visions of crying babies drowning out the red alert sirens with all the noise danced in his head. ' _Yes, definitely a bad idea_.' he thought. The Captain put the orders out to retrieve the pediatric supplies from the _Attila_ after reviewing the idea with Mabui. As a result part of the _Attila's_ crew along with his own people were currently moving supplies via the ship's transporters. Morale was generally high and to be honest Asuma liked children but the fact was they were a logistical nightmare….

Asuma heard a knock on his door. "Come." said the Captain.

Lieutenant Nadeshiko came in and saluted. "Nadeshiko reporting Captain; the recreation deck has been made into a temporary daycare as ordered sir. Since the Attila's crew is running it we've had no manpower problems."

"That's good news Shizuka." replied Asuma. "You seem to be in an upbeat mood."

Shizuka blushed slightly and said, "Naruto is on board."

The Captain nodded awkwardly and said, "Ah, of course." ' _I forgot that they are lovers….none of my business since it doesn't affect their on duty performance. The whole pon farr*① business is something that is best kept to the Vulcans_.' "Very well Lieutenant, unless there is something else carry on."

Shizuka dismissed herself and went back to her bridge station. ' _I need to get with Naruto and T'Lyra and arrange some time to spend together. I thought it pon farr was all just physical with Naruto but….even after a few months I think I'm in love_ ….'

….

 **Sickbay**

In sickbay Siegrfried was getting a DNA scan done. "You're a good little patient Ziggy." said Doctor Gregory Hammond as he patted Siegfried's head. "You can sit up now." Siegfried sat up and Greg turned to Samui and Naruto. "He's a 100% match to you both. I'd love to do some testing on his IQ and whatnot but there a too many other patients needing basic physicals right now."

Samui reached out and picked up the little blonde and felt his downy soft hair rub against her cheek. Siegfried was tired and dozed off in his Mother's bosom within minutes much to her surprise.

"It's his nap time." explained the older Rafi.

Naruto nodded in understanding having grown up around Talok when she was a baby. T'Lyra and Samui were each an only child so they simply went with it. The group went quietly back to Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters so as not to wake up Siegfried….

….

Samui was soon sitting with Naruto, T'Lyra and both the older and younger Rafi. They'd laid Siegfried on the bed so he could nap. The group sat in relative silence for a few minutes sipping Spiced Tea until Samui raised the question, "What are we going to do with the little guy? We can't raise him out here in space. Aside of the fact it's against regulations it would be no way for a child to live."

Naruto sighed slightly and said, "My parents would be the most logical choice to raise him. Siegfried is a Vulcan and a hybrid and they already have experience raising a child with abilities like mine for obvious reasons."

T'Lyra nodded. "The fact he has chakra alone makes Mother T'Ara and Father Sovar the only reasonable choice."

The older Rafi looked torn but asked Naruto, "What are your parents like? I only remember meeting them in passing. I know your Dad is a martial artist."

Samui said, "Naruto's Papa taught me a couple of Kareel-ifla moves. He seems like a kind person."

T'Lyra said, "Father Sovar _is_ a kind person. He and Mother T'Ara are wonderful people and raised Naruto and Talok well. Talok is an exceptional girl."

Seeing the general confusion, the blonde hybrid explaned, "Talok is my younger sister. She is a very talented dancer."

"Your sister is a dancer?" asked Samui.

Naruto nodded. "I am very proud to be her brother."

"I wonder what my parents would think." pondered Samui. "But they are already in their fifties….They don't need to be chasing down a super strong toddler."

The older Rafi nodded warily and said, "Ziggy is a handful. I love the little guy to death but he can be hard to handle – _especially_ if he's angry."

"We should consult with Naruto's parents before making any further decisions." said T'Lyra.

….

 **Stardate 2274.152 Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar City, T'Ara and Sovar's house**

The next night T'Ara and Sovar were sitting in front of the viewscreen in their front room. In front of them were their son Naruto and his friend Samui who they were acquainted with. T'Lyra was sitting on Naruto's other side. The person that had captured the older couple's attention was the little whisker faced blonde sitting between Naruto and Samui. "And that's the short version of the situation." said Samui. She motioned to the little boy and said, "This is your biological grandson Siegfried Naruto Schrodinger."

Siegfried smiled shyly and waved at his Grandparents. "Hi, I'm Siegfried." said the cute little blonde.

T'Ara's intense onyx eyes softened and she thought, ' _What a darling child. He looks so much like Naruto at that age_.' "Hello there Siegfried; though it is most unexpected we are your Grandparents. I am T'Ara M'Fau and this is your Grandfather Sovar M'Fau."

Sovar was still trying to wrap his head around the idea an alternate timeline and the Grandchild that was a result of it. He suddenly saw little Siegfried's eyes crackle excitedly with chakra and all doubts in Sovar's mind were dispelled. "So you have chakra too Siegfried?" asked the martial artist.

The little boy bounced up and down excitedly and said, "Yes, so does my Daddy!"

Sovar looked at Naruto and said, "The resemblance is uncanny. He's obviously a M'Fau."

"I'm a what?" asked Siegfried.

"You are a member of our clan here on Vulcan." clarified T'Ara. "You are a very handsome little boy."

"Then you will take him in?" asked Samui.

"We are the most logical choice." said T'Ara. "Besides, we've been considering having another little one."

T'Lyra said, "We will pay for his needs of course."

"Payment is the least of our concerns." said T'Ara. "We know you wouldn't just abandon us with him."

"Siegfried is still trying to accept his situation." said Samui as the little boy hugged her.

"It is to be expected." said Sovar. "He's only three after all."

"It will be difficult at first but we will overcome it." assured T'Ara.

….

After the call ended; Samui said, "Your parents really _are_ kind people." Siegfried was snuggled up in her lap. He had dozed off.

Naruto nodded as he looked at the little boy. "They will take good care of him."

….

"We should call my parents tomorrow." said Samui with a yawn. "I'll calculate a time in the morning on Earth when my parents are home tomorrow and we can contact them."

Naruto laid the little boy down in his cot for the night. Samui admired the child and said quietly. "He really is a beautiful baby boy."

T'Lyra nodded and said, "That he is."

Samui soon made her way back to her quarters after agreeing to get back together in the morning….

….

 **Stardate 2274.153, Planet Earth, Cambridge, the Schrodinger residence**

Samui's parents Siegfried and Maria Schrodinger were contacted by their daughter Samui and were in for a shock. Being cosmologists they understood the concept of time ripples and alternate timelines but the _last_ thing they expected was a three year old _grandson_ as a result. Even more shocking was the little boy was of Vulcan descent. Samui mentioned Naruto occasionally as a classmate but never as a _boyfriend_. The little boy sitting between Samui and Naruto looked just like their daughter to them.

Little Siegfried was excited to meet the man he was named after and said eagerly, "I'm Siegfried and I have the same name as you Grandpapa!"

The elder Siegfried didn't know what to say but his wife Maria chuckled. "You speak very well for a three year old little Siegfried. My name is Maria and I'm your Grandmum."

"His articulation of words is far beyond his age implies." said Naruto. "We believe Siegfried is a genius but have yet to have him tested."

"It's safe to say he is if he takes after Samui." said the elder Siegrfried. "She was incredibly brilliant as a child."

Samui smiled softly and said, "Papa, Naruto is a genius as well. To say little Siegfried is very bright is a huge understatement."

Maria said slyly, "Well, little Siegfried is going to be very handsome if he takes after his Mother _or_ his Father."

"Mum!" said Samui blushing. Her Mother just laughed.

Samui's side of the family seemed very friendly and approved of little Siegfried's future living arrangements with Naruto's parents. They agreed that due to his Vulcan heritage and physiology that the little whisker faced blonde would be best raised on Vulcan….

….

The next morning Shizuka stopped in to see the M'Fau clan only to find young Siegfried was there as well having breakfast. T'Lyra opened the door and was happy to see her cousin. The brunette invited Shizuka in and introduced Siegfried to her. The little boy was sloppily eating oatmeal. Naruto was trying not to cringe at his son's slipshod eating habits. Apparently Rafi's list of priorities didn't include table manners. '…. _Now that I think about it, Rafi eats rather shoddily herself_.' thought Naruto to himself.

Shizuka grinned at Naruto's appalled (by Vulcan standards) look on his face. T'Lyra didn't seem to mind as much. The Security Chief said, "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you Siegfried. You're just as cute as they told me."

The little boy smiled brightly and said, "I'm happy to meet you too. Oatmeal is good. Do you want some?" he asked holding out a spoonful.

"I already ate so I'm good." said Shizuka. She was snickering inside at Naruto's wide eyes of horror at the idea of sharing food. ' _Oh I'm so going to enjoy this_ ….' thought Shizuka deviously.

….

 **Stardate 2274.157, Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters**

A few days later Naruto was working on a new concept design for something unusual; _a shuttle carrier_. Intelligence had it that the Kzinti Hegemony was designing a ship for the purpose of carrying assault shuttles or fighters and the Federation was following suit. The blonde hybrid was less than thrilled about this move. Unlike most of the vessels in Starfleet there was no point in such a ship for exploration at all. This design was obviously just for war; specifically _attrition_ war. Shuttles carriers were a throwback to aircraft carriers that almost every world developed in some form or other and more importantly could make war that much more dangerous and more significantly, _affordable_.

The blonde hybrid also knew that the Federation Diplomatic Corps was making great efforts to sign a treaty of alliance with the Kzintis which would ' _balance_ ' the strategic power of the Klingons. While Naruto ordinarily would have supported a peace treaty of some nature (he was Vulcan after all); the Felinoid Kzintis were highly carnivorous and were known to **_eat_** their captives. This distasteful habit kept the Federation from even _considering_ the Kzintis as potential allies for decades. ' _How M'rella and the completely peaceful Caitians branched off from such a savage race as the Kzintis is beyond me_.' thought Naruto. ' _Then again, The Romulan Star Empire is of Vulcan descent. The universe certainly has its mysteries_.'

As the blonde was occupied with his project he'd failed to notice his little son Siegfried was up from his afternoon nap and decided to explore his Father's quarters. "Daddy, what are you doing?" asked the little blonde.

Naruto pivoted his chair around and saw Siegfried's inquisitive eyes staring up at him eagerly. Naruto said, "I'm designing a starship; did you have a good nap?"

The little hybrid nodded and asked, "Can I help?"

"Let's find something else for you to do." said Naruto.

"Let's play a game then." countered Siegfried. "Like hide and seek! I'll hide somewhere on the ship and you can try to find me!"

Naruto imagined the little boy zipping all over the _Gettysburg_ and wreaking all kinds of havoc and immediately nixed the idea. "Why don't we play something here in my quarters?"

"There aren't good places to hide in here." said the little boy in disappointment.

"I meant a logic game." replied Naruto. Seeing his son's puzzled look Naruto said, "Kal-toh is a game I've enjoyed since childhood. I will teach it to you."

"Kal-toh?" asked Siegfried.

….

Three hours later both T'Lyra and Samui got off duty and agreed to spend some time with little Siegfried together. They found the blonde three year old totally immersed in a game of kal-toh with his Father. The two males had identical looks of concentration on their faces and Samui thought it was hilarious to look at and covered her smile with her hands.

T'Lyra just shook her head and said, "Like Father like son." She smiled mentally. ' _Naruto always was a kal-toh addict_.'

….

 **Stardate 2274.166** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

The _Gettysburg_ came in to dock at Starbase 15 right on schedule. The crew of the _Attila_ was offloaded to be accounted for by Starfleet. The numerous children were to be processed as citizens of the Federation. In the older Rafi's case, she and Siegfried were going to Vulcan to meet up with Naruto's parents. Accompanying them would be Samui and Naruto as it was considered (genetically speaking) a family emergency leave. It took a bit of wrangling with the regulations but it wasn't like Captain Sarutobi could just divert the _Gettysburg_ to Vulcan when they were badly in need of resupply at Starbase 15….

….

Naruto, Samui, Siegfried and the older Rafi were travelling to Vulcan via a Federation Express Transport from the Starbase. Samui was thinking about their conversation with Commander Kumo before they left….

 _FLASHBACK…._

 _Mabui addressed the group and said, "The_ _Gettysburg_ _will be headed to the Memory Alpha Cultural Institute*② after we resupply here at Starbase 15. As we are on a mission there you have two weeks to return to the ship. That gives you four days to Vulcan via Federation Express Transport, eight days on Vulcan and two days to the Memory Alpha Cultural Institute to rejoin the_ _Gettysburg_ _. Best of luck on your journey."_

 _FLASHBACK END_ ….

' _It's a bit of a tight timetable_.' thought the beautiful augment woman. ' _I shouldn't complain though. Commander Kumo worked out a very efficient schedule for us. If she ever quits Starfleet she'd make a damn good travel agent_.' Samui looked to her left in their booth and saw Siegfried watching a video about Planet Vulcan that Naruto picked out for him to watch. The little boy seemed completely fascinated. She smiled softly. Across the booth from Siegfried was Rafi who was asleep with a sleep mask on (she hated long trips on transports with no staterooms and just bunks). Across from Samui was Naruto who was obviously in deep thought working on something on his tablet.

Feeling playful, Samui nudged Naruto with her foot and asked, "Naruto, what are you working on?"

Naruto looked up and said "It's the layout for a shuttle hanger. It's part of a larger project."

"So you are designing another ship for Starfleet?" asked Samui.

Naruto nodded and said, "It's classified I'm afraid."

"I wish I had your creativity." said Samui. "It must be amazing seeing your projects come to life that way."

Naruto looked up from his work at Samui and said, "You've always struck me as very creative the way you understand the stars."

"I'm and astronomer and cosmologist; it's to be expected." said Samui.

Naruto motioned over to Siegfried and said, "It makes one wonder what he'll be doing in a few years. In ten years he'll be old as I was when I entered the Vulcan Science Academy."

"It wasn't until I was fourteen that I went to Cambridge." replied Samui as she admired the little platinum blonde haired boy.

"He will be something great someday." said Naruto.

….

 **Stardate 2274.170** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

T'Lyra was sitting back in her cousin Shizuka's quarters visiting after a long hard day of directing and loading the much needed supplies. She was wondering just how much the crew of the _Attila_ had gone through. Medical supplies, foodstuffs and clothing had been the major things they were low on. ' _It's a good thing Starbases have massive stores. Otherwise we would have had to go to Rigel or another major system nearby_.' She looked out the transparent aluminum viewport and thought about Naruto. ' _He should be close to Vulcan by now. I wish I could have gone with him. Little Siegfried is such a cute child. Someday we'll have a little one of our own_.'

Shizuka came out of her bedroom wearing shorts and a tee shirt and asked, "Thinking about Naruto?"

T'Lyra raised a delicate eyebrow and said, "I was just thinking about children. I hope Naruto and I have some; at least a boy and a girl."

Smiling, Shizuka said, "If he has a harem like you plan then at least you and I both will have some little cuties with him."

"I'm surprised you are eager to have children Shizuka." said T'Lyra. "You never struck me as the Motherly type."

"I like kids." said Shizuka. "But it wasn't until I met Naruto that I found someone I _wanted_ to have kids with though."

….

 **Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar City, Vulcan Space Central**

Naruto was the first of the small party off of the transport and was carrying Siegfried. The little boy was awed at seeing the spaceport. "So….so big! It's giant Daddy!" said the little whisker faced blonde.

Samui smiled at her son and said, "This is your first time seeing a planet's surface isn't it Siegfried?" The little blonde nodded excitedly as he looked around everywhere and Samui laughed. "You'll see lots more."

"It's so bloody hot here and the air is so thin." complained the elder Rafi. "Not to mention the gravity….I forgot about Vulcan's climate."

Naruto took a deep breath and got a ghost of a smile on his face. "It's good to be home even for a short while." He looked up at his son and said, "Welcome to Planet Vulcan Siegfried; your new home."

Samui was a bit shocked at the tiny smile on Naruto's face –it was only there for a split second. ' _That little smile lit up his whole face_.' thought the blonde bombshell. ' _Siegfried has his Daddy's smile rather than mine. Who would have guessed?_ '

The little boy took a deep breath in imitation of his Father and said, "I'm home!"

Rafi laughed. "That you are Ziggy!"

….

Naruto soon rented a large hovercraft to take the group to the M'Fau residence on the opposite side of ShiKhar City. Siegfried was attempting the Vulcan salute but didn't have it quite right yet. The salesperson approved of the little boy's efforts though. As they cruised across ShiKhar City over to the west side where Naruto grew up, The elder whisker faced blonde pointed out landmarks and other places such as where he went to school. Siegfried was totally engrossed in what Naruto was saying and had endless questions for his Father.

Naruto pulled into the driveway of his parent's home at 10:45 local time which was right on schedule as far as the blonde hybrid was concerned. He had originally intended to buy lunch for his family at a restaurant but T'Ara suggested they eat at home because they had no real idea of what Siegfried's tastes in foods were. Naruto glanced at his son in the car seat and thought, ' _Mother is correct of course….as always_.'

As the group piled out of the hovercraft T'Ara and Sovar came out to greet them with Talok in tow. Siegfried was _extremely_ excited to meet his Grandparents. T'Ara greeted the little blonde with a hug. "I'm very pleased to meet you in person at last Siegfried." said T'Ara. "Welcome to your new home." She looked up at Naruto and said, "It is good to see you so well Naruto. This little one was a huge surprise to us and you no doubt."

"It is good to see you Mother." said Naruto. He turned to Sovar and his sister and said, "Father, Talok; I have missed you all.

Sovar said, "You have been missed as well Naruto; you brought home quite a little package."

Talok was obviously excited (by Vulcan standards). "Big brother, I am so pleased to see you. I never dreamed I would be an Aunt so soon."

Naruto gave his little sister a minimal smile and said, "We never dreamed that Siegfried would come into our lives either."

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2274.178: Today Samui and I bid farewell to our son. He was in a highly emotional state but this was to be expected given his age. We are fortunate that Lieutenant Rafi agreed to stay a few weeks to help Siegfried with this transitional time for him. She's made arrangements to return to her home world when the time comes. It is still difficult to grasp the reality that I have a fine little son. Samui and I are now heading to Memory Alpha to rejoin the_ _Gettysburg_ _. It has been a long trip so far_ ….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Yes, Shizuka already went through her first pon farr and Naruto took care of her back on the Cadet Cruise on the _U.S.S. Darwin_. Naruto and T'Lyra have not experienced their first pon farr yet as they are a bit younger.

*② Memory Alpha is an inhabited planetoid and the home for a Federation central library. The Federation built the central library on an unnamed planetoid to hold the total cultural history and scientific knowledge of all planetary Federation members. The Memory Alpha Cultural Institute is an educational institute which is associated with Memory Alpha.

Well, another chapter in the books. Next chapter we will travel to Memory Alpha where a new adventure will start in preparation for a new arc. For those of you wondering, little Siegfried wasn't thrown into the plot just to add a cute factor or something. He has an important role to play way down the line. See you next time. Blue out. 5/23/18

 **Crew of the** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Captain Asuma Sarutobi: Male Human /Age: 30's

First Officer Commander Mabui Kumo: Female Human /Age: 29

Chief Engineering Officer Lt Commander Sassaav: Male Andorian /Age: 40's

*Chief Medical Officer Doctor ? : ? /Age:

*Chief Sciences Officer Lt Commander ? : ? /Age:

Chief of Security Lt Shizuka Nadeshiko: Female Vulcan /Age: 26/ Birth name: S'Loren Tolaris

Chief Communications Officer Ensign M'rella: Female Caitian /Age: 20

Ship's Navigator Lt (JG) Samui Schrodinger: Female Augment Human /Age: 20

Ship's Helmsman Ensign Rafi: Female Trill /Age: 19


	37. Chapter 37

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'd like to thank **1968** for the idea that led to the new Chief Medical Officer of the Gettysburg. I'd also like to clarify about the uniforms that the micro-mini dresses and boots are optional. I could be wrong but I can't see those as being too practical in combat for the likes of Shizuka or Samui. Here is chapter 37. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _Naruto pulled into the driveway of his parent's home at 10:45 local time which was right on schedule as far as the blonde hybrid was concerned. He had originally intended to buy lunch for his family at a restaurant but T'Ara suggested they eat at home because they had no real idea of what Siegfried's tastes in foods were. Naruto glanced at his son in the car seat and thought, '_ _Mother is correct of course….as always_ _.'_

 _As the group piled out of the hovercraft T'Ara and Sovar came out to greet them with Talok in tow. Siegfried was_ _extremely_ _excited to meet his Grandparents. T'Ara greeted the little blonde with a hug. "I'm very pleased to meet you in person at last Siegfried." said T'Ara. "Welcome to your new home." She looked up at Naruto and said, "It is good to see you so well Naruto. This little one was a huge surprise to us and you no doubt."_

 _"It is good to see you Mother." said Naruto. He turned to Sovar and his sister and said, "Father, Talok; I have missed you all."_

 _Sovar said, "You have been missed as well Naruto; you brought home quite a little package."_

 _Talok was obviously excited (by Vulcan standards). "Big brother, I am so pleased to see you. I never dreamed I would be an Aunt so soon."_

 _Naruto gave his little sister a minimal smile and said, "We never dreamed that Siegfried would come into our lives either."_

….

 _Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau, Stardate 2274.178: Today Samui and I bid farewell to our son. He was in a highly emotional state but this was to be expected given his age. We are fortunate that Lieutenant Rafi agreed to stay a few weeks to help Siegfried with this transitional time for him. She's made arrangements to return to her home world when the time comes. It is still difficult to grasp the reality that I have a fine little son. Samui and I are now heading to Memory Alpha to rejoin the __**Gettysburg**_ _. It has been a long trip so far_ …. 

….

Chapter 37

 **Stardate 2274.178** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Shizuka was drooling as she slept in her quarters on the _Gettysburg._ She was sprawled out on the bed. Her dreams had drifted back to the past and the first time she was with Naruto and they became mates….

….

 _DREAM…._

 _A small Away Team from the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _was taking readings of the local wildlife on the tropical planet Cassius VI. Cadet Naruto M'Fau and Maya Ayasugi from the_ _Think Tank_ _were among those in the science party supervised by an unusually moody Shizuka Nadeshiko. Things had started out well enough but the Security Chief seemed to be getting more and more irritable and out-and-out hostile with those under her command. Naruto in particular was concerned about her lack of discipline because it was totally unlike her usual demeanor._

 _This went on for what seemed like hours to the Cadets. Finally, Shizuka was reading the riot act to one of the cadets for a minor mistake and looked ready to physically assault him when Naruto interfered. "Lieutenant Nadeshiko, you must calm down! There is no need for viol-"_

 _That was when Shizuka blindsided Naruto with a full strength backhand and sent Naruto tumbling. She looked frightened, guilty and angry all at the same time. Then the Security Chief growled and took off in a sprint towards the forest._

 _The whiskered blonde put two and two together quickly. He got up from his position on the ground and thought, '_ _She's gone into plak tow. This is bad. Why did she not inform us_ _? ' "The rest of you stay here and contact the ship. I'll go after Lieutenant Nadeshiko."_

 _"Why should we stay behind Naruto?" asked Ayasugi. "She was out of her rational mind."_

 _Naruto replied in a flat tone, "Because I'm the only one that can physically subdue her should it become necessary."_

 _Ayasugi looked a bit shocked for a moment and then said, "I see your point. Be careful Naruto."_

 _"I will be." replied the blonde._

 _…._

 _Shizuka was essentially running wild through the tropical forest. Her mind was a haze of anger and lust. She felt incredibly hot all over and couldn't control herself. '_ _IT HURTS!_ _' was her only rational thought. She was looking around wildly to stop the burning, anything!_

 _That's when Naruto tackled her from behind and said, "You have entered pon farr Lieutenant. We must-" She clocked him with a brutal right hook and grinned savagely before she lunged at the hybrid. Naruto_ _wasn't_ _amused. Not only was he bleeding now, she looked like she was enjoying herself. The whisker faced blonde was doing his best to subdue her without hurting her and was getting the hell beat out of him as a result. After they fought each other for a bit he finally ended up wrestling with her on the forest floor until he pinned the flailing Vulcan woman. Then she_ _bit_ _him on the shoulder and tasted his coppery blood the way T'Lyra sometimes did when they were mating. He let out a yell but Shizuka calmed a little and then licked Naruto's face and let out a moan._

 _"There's no helping it." thought Naruto aloud. He very slowly, very gently put his pointer finger and middle finger to her face and stroked from her temple down to her cheek to initiate a mating bond._

 _She looked desperate but held his hand as he stroked her face again. Shizuka then did the same to Naruto's face and he leaned down and kissed her deeply. Shizuka seemed to revel in the new sensation and returned his kiss passionately. Then she then pulled him down closer on top of her and did her best to ram her tongue down his throat. She started grinding herself into him and mewled when Naruto started gently stroking her breasts through the fabric of her shirt. Naruto tried to undress her but Shizuka started frantically tearing at his clothes._

 _"Oh, to hell with it!" growled Naruto as he started fumbling with the beautiful Vulcan woman's belt so he could take off her pants. It didn't take long before she had her legs wrapped around him as the two rutted in the grass like animals. After going around three times Naruto noticed she was smiling and calmer. Shizuka was a bit flushed and said huskily, "Let's go around again lover. Take me doggy style." She rolled over on her stomach and angled herself so he had a perfect view of her sumptuous ass. Any rational thoughts Naruto had about the situation kind of left his mind as he swiftly entered her wanting body from behind and buried himself in her to the hilt. Unlike before the blonde was able to take his time a slowly bring his new mate to climax again and again…._

 _It was hours later when Shizuka finally cooled off and wanted to sleep. Naruto was exhausted and Shizuka was feeling completely sated. They both retrieved their battered clothes and she kissed him deeply. "Naruto, I…."_

 _Naruto kissed her forehead and said, "Let's get back to the ship. I'm sure they are looking for us."_

 _…._

 _Later, T'Lyra saw Shizuka when they got back to the_ _U.S.S. Darwin_ _. She asked, "Are you all right Shizuka? I sensed something was off but Naruto said you went into plak tow…."_

 _Shizuka was worn out but very happy. She explained, "Naruto found me and….took me as his mate. It was really difficult at first but he calmed me down….I don't want this to be a onetime thing T'Lyra. I….I want to be with him like you are."_

 _T"Lyra gave a small nod and said, "Once Naruto and I go through our pon farr we will get married on Vulcan. After that you can marry him too…."_

 _…._

 _DREAM END…._

….

Shizuka awoke with a gasp before she relaxed even seeing her wall chronometer was only at 03:00. ' _Hmmm….when Naruto comes back from his little trip he and I are going to get it on right in the Jacuzzi_ ….'

….

 **Stardate 2274.179, Federation Express Transport**

Naruto and Samui had a booth to themselves the first half of the trip but the seating got rearranged after they took on more passengers and the pair was soon joined by a blue shirted Lieutenant Commander from Starfleet. They both stood immediately and saluted. The woman chuckled and said, "At ease Lieutenants, I'm just a passenger like you." She was a slim, attractive human woman with shoulder length black hair and dark onyx eyes. The woman introduced herself and said, "I'm Doctor Shizune Kato of Medical Division. I'm going to Memory Alpha pending transfer. Who might you be?"

Naruto replied, "I am Naruto M'Fau of Vulcan and this is my friend Samui Schrodinger of Earth." Samui nodded in greeting. "We are from the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_."

Shizune smiled and said, "Ah, I'm from the Mars Colonies. We'll be seeing more of each other since I'm going to be the Chief Medical Officer aboard the _Gettysburg_.

' _Now if we could only get a chief Science Officer as well_.' thought Samui. ' _Naruto's stuck putting up with that harpy Wanda Hardy_ ….'

The two blondes soon learned that Doctor Kato was very laid back and had a quiet but friendly disposition. They both felt that their friends from the _Think Tank_ Shelly Wilson and Gregory Hammond would work well with Shizune….

….

 **Stardate 2274.180** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg,_** **Memory Alpha**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.180: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. We have arrived at Memory Alpha on schedule for our rendezvous with the fleet transport tug_ _NCC-3801 U.S.S. Ptolemy_ _*①. Unfortunately the_ _Ptolemy_ _is not here. The ship was towing a starliner pod*② and we were to receive dignitaries to take to Earth. We have additional passengers to pick up and once that is done the_ _Gettysburg_ _will be tracing the_ _Ptolemy's_ _projected flight path as no transmissions have been heard from the tug in over six hours. Starfleet Command hasn't issued a fleet wide search yet but I have a feeling they will before this situation is resolved. As ship as big as the_ _Ptolemy_ _doesn't just disappear on its own…._

The Federation Express with Naruto, Samui and Shizune soon landed at Memory Alpha and the three were soon beamed aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_. Mabui was in the transporter room to greet them. "Welcome aboard." greeted the mocha skinned first officer. "I'm afraid we have a situation on our hands so the Captain won't be able to welcome you formally until it is resolved Doctor Kato."

Shizune nodded. "I understand; I'll familiarize myself with the medical facilities and staff in the meantime."

"Very good." said Mabui. "Samui and Naruto report to the Staff Meeting Room once you've dropped off your luggage in your quarters."

"Aye, Commander!" chorused the two junior officers.

….

 **Staff Meeting Room**

Naruto and Samui reported to the Staff Meeting Room as quickly as they could and saw everybody was there waiting. Filling in as Chief Medical Officer was Shelly Wilson and since Wanda Hardy was nowhere to be seen Naruto was acting as Chief Sciences Officer. Samui and Naruto saluted before taking their seats.

Asuma addressed his staff and said, "Good, we're all here. Intelligence has updated me us and the _U.S.S Ptolemy_ is officially listed as missing as of 14:00 hours which is 34 minutes ago. We are the only ship with flag facilities in the local area so the _Gettysburg_ will be coordinating the investigation. Four Police Cutters and two frigates will be joining us in the search. The Police ships have already fanned out through the surrounding systems. The frigates will be joining us. I'll be counting on all of you to assist in this task." The Captain turned to the center of the table where a holographic image of the area was projected.

"The last time the _Ptolemy_ reported in was at 06:00 this morning which was a routine log entry. At the time the _Ptolemy_ was here." said Captain Sarutobi pointing at a set of coordinates in the hologram. "Four hours later at 10:00 hours the _Ptolemy_ missed a log entry. It should have been at these coordinates by then. Starfleet command wasn't alarmed until 14:00 when the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ missed an additional log entry at which time they ordered a search."

"Missed log entries due to interference aren't that uncommon." said Rafi. "Starfleet regulations usually give twenty-four hours before a ship is declared missing."

Mabui said, "That is generally correct Ensign Rafi. However in this case there are V.I.P.s involved that are potential targets for pirates, terrorists and other factions."

Sassaav face palmed. "Not good. This could end up being a hostage situation or worse. Who are the lucky V.I.P.s?"

"The main people who would be targeted are the Federation Ambassador to the Kzinti Hegemony Lucas Zhukov and the Kzinti Ambassador to the Federation Y'zvar." answered Mabui.

Shizuka said, "I'll get the layout of the starliner pod and the _Ptolemy_ in case we have to board her."

Asuma nodded. "It's a good idea to prepare for the worst but hopefully it won't come to that."

"Then we should proceed to the last known position of the _Ptolemy_ at 06:00 and follow her flight path to search for data." said Naruto.

"Exactly Naruto." agreed Asuma. "Let's head out."

….

The _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ left Memory Alpha and travelled at maximum warp to the point _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ made her last transmission. There they were to rendezvous with two Federation frigates; _NCC-303 U.S.S. Perry_ and _NCC-306 U.S.S. Jellico_.*③ At the meeting point the _Jellico_ arrived first and was waiting for the _Gettysburg_ and the _Perry_. Captain David Ortega immediately had the _Jellico_ sweeping the area for any signs of the missing transport tug. The _Gettysburg_ arrived twenty minutes later and the Captain Ortega reported in.

"This is Captain Ortega of the _U.S.S. Jellico_ to the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_." transmitted the _Jellico_. "We can find no signs of debris or any other unusual phenomena. It is safe to say the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ passed through this area undamaged. We could sure use a scout ship at times like these."

Captain Sarutobi smiled grimly and said, "I'm afraid we'll have to make do with what we've got Captain Ortega. I really didn't expect to find anything at this point but it's a place to start. Let's wait here for the _U.S.S. Perry_ and we can start an organized search."

"Understood. _Jellico_ will be on standby." said Captain Ortega curtly.

Captain Sarutobi turned to his First Officer and said lightly, "Captain Ortega is a bit of a grump wouldn't you say Mabui?"

Mabui looked over at Asuma and said, "To my knowledge Ortega was born grumpy. We went to the Academy together."

The _U.S.S. Perry_ arrived ten minutes later with Captain Leila Kaiser in command. " _Perry_ to Gettysburg, we are ready to proceed when you are."

The three Captains were in conference briefly and decided to set out on a wide span search with the _Gettysburg_ following the flight path of the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ directly and the two frigates travelled at the edge of the cruiser's scanning range to the port and starboard. Traveling at warp factor two the three ships were covering a great deal of space when the _Gettysburg_ and _Perry_ to her port picked up a great deal of radiation.

Captain Sarutobi said, "Drop us to sublight Ensign Rafi. Lieutenant Naruto put full sensors on that radiation pocket. Tell me what you've got."

After a few minutes Naruto said, "Judging by the amount and pattern of the radiation I would estimate one of the two impulse engines on the _Ptolemy_ suffered some sort of reactor failure causing them to leak at 08:37 hours. Following the trail the _Ptolemy_ left behind the ship turned hard to port and arced around to the flight path the _U.S.S._ _Perry_ is picking up. I do not detect any debris indicating the _Ptolemy_ suffered an explosion however. We should contact the _U.S.S. Perry_ and see if they concur while we follow the radiation trail."

….

"This is the _Perry_." answered Captain Kaiser. "The radiation trail doubles back in the opposite direction. Our sciences department concurs with yours Captain Sarutobi. The _Ptolemy_ had a reactor leak but that doesn't explain her change in course. There are no other signs of activity in the area other than the radiation trail. Shall we follow?"

"Affirmative Captain Kaiser." said Asuma. "The _Gettysburg_ and _Jellico_ will form up on your flight path."

….

The three Federation ships were in a simple line ahead formation travelling at warp factor four with the _Perry_ in the lead followed by the _Gettysburg_ and then the _Jellico_. Naruto looked up from his station and said, "We're picking up four cruiser sized vessels at maximum range moving at warp factor three. The radiation trail leads right to them. One of the four ships could be the _Ptolemy_."

"And the other three ships?" asked Captain Sarutobi.

Naruto answered, "Unknown but no cruiser sized vessels are scheduled to be in this sector aside of the _Ptolemy_."

"Assuming a worst case scenario it could be pirates." said Mabui.

The Captain nodded and said, "Let's assume the worst then. Go to yellow alert. Where are they headed Naruto?"

"They are several days out at their rate of travel but their current course avoids any major systems between here and the Klingon Border." replied the blonde.

Asuma turned to the communications station and said, "Relay the information to the other ships M'rella; _Gettysburg_ will be taking the lead in the formation at warp factor five."

….

 **With the Orion Pirate Squadron**

Ahead of the Federation Squadron were three Orion Pirate Vessels of the Hamilcar Pirate Cartel and the ship they had captured, the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_. Though they usually preyed on relatively unarmed cargo convoys; occasionally they went for big game….When the money was good. _Especially_ when the money was good. The Orion Salvage Cruiser*④ _Whale_ was towing the big and heavy _Ptolemy_ at her best speed which was about warp three without damaging the _Whale's_ engines. They were escorted by two Orion Raider Cruisers*⑤, the _Barracuda_ and the _Piranha_ *⑥.

How had they pulled this off? First; Klingon Intelligence told them the coordinates to be at when the _Ptolemy_ broke down due to a 'reactor leak' courtesy of a saboteur planted aboard the _Ptolemy_. Unfortunately for the pirates of the Hamilcar Clan, though the _Ptolemy_ wasn't escorted; it was full of Federation Marines that were putting up a savage fight against the boarders from the Hamilcar Cartel. In short, the pirates managed to ' _capture_ ' the _Ptolemy_ in a tractor tow but they didn't ' _control_ ' the big transport tug by a long shot. Worse still, the two dignitaries they were supposed to capture were completely out of reach so towing the _Ptolemy_ along like a massive, inert piece of metal at a ponderous speed was the best the Orions could do….

….And the Federation Squadron headed by the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ was slowly closing from behind….

"Well, fuck…." said 'The Baroness' Tayuya who commanded the _Whale_. "It looks like the Feds have caught onto our trail already." She pondered a moment and said, "Inform the _Barracuda_ and the _Piranha_ to prepare for combat to delay the Federation Squadron. The Feds have got at least a cruiser and two smaller ships, maybe destroyers or frigates….The _Whale_ will stay on course until we get those two ambassadors and then drop the _Ptolemy_ and escape at best speed."

….

 **With the Federation Squadron**

"Two of the ships have doubled back to intercept us." said Naruto as he looked up from the science station. "They appear to be Orion _Raider_ Class Cruisers. Their estimated time to contact is twenty minutes at our mutual closing speeds."

"And the other two ships…?" asked Mabui.

"They are still on the same course and heading moving at warp factor three Commander Kumo." replied the blonde.

"Condition red; battle stations!" said Mabui as the Federation ships went from condition yellow to red.

….

 **With the** ** _Piranha_** **and the** ** _Barracuda_**

"A heavy cruiser and two frigates are a problem but not an impossible one." said Captain Sakon of the _Barracuda_. "If each of us takes out a frigate we can double up on the heavy cruiser afterwards. We'll pincer them."

"Understood." replied the twin of Sakon, Captain Ukon of the _Piranha_. "We'll take starboard and you take port. Remember, one pass and haul ass."

The two _Raider_ cruisers quickly split in opposite directions.

….

 **The** ** _Gettysburg_**

Asuma commanded, "All ships stand by to veer to port! We are taking out the _Raider_ that was in the trailing position."

The _Piranha_ and the _Barracuda_ both were committed to their attack runs and gunning for the frigates when the entire Federation Squadron suddenly turned directly towards the _Piranha_. Captain Ukon's eyes grew wide and he froze up. "Captain, what do we do?!" screeched his helmsman.

A barrage of photon torpedoes from the three Federation ships answered the question and left the _Piranha_ a gutted wreck before the _Raider_ could fire a single shot in retaliation. Then the Federation Squadron accelerated away leaving the _Barracuda_ to clean up the mess of her sistership. "Shall we circle around and finish the job on that _Raider?"_ asked Mabui.

Asuma shook his head, "Our concern is the _Ptolemy_. From the looks of things the other _Raider_ is helping the cripple which is exactly what I wanted; two birds with one stone. Destroying the cripple would free up the undamaged one to attack us and I want to keep the squadron intact."

Commander Kumo asked, "Why do you suppose the _Raider_ didn't return fire?"

Sarutobi shrugged. "Maybe he wanted to wait till the last second to open fire. Maybe he froze up. It was a stroke of luck for us either way. I was afraid we'd lose one of the frigates or at least our front shielding." The Captain looked at the tactical readout on screen. The demolished _Piranha_ was at a dead stop and the undamaged _Barracuda_ was at station keeping beside her rescuing crewmembers from her wrecked sistership. The _Gettysburg_ , _Perry_ and _Jellico_ were closing on the _Ptolemy_ and the _Whale_. They left the two _Raider_ cruisers in the proverbial dust.

As the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ and the frigates leveled out and began closing on the _Ptolemy_ , the _Whale_ suddenly dropped her tractor beam on the inert Federation transport tug and accelerated away as quickly as she could.

"We're receiving a distress call from the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_." said M'rella. "They have boarders and require assistance. They were being jammed before."

"Contact them and find out if the two ambassadors are still aboard." ordered Captain Sarutobi. "We may need to pursue that Salvage Cruiser."

"I'm in touch with Captain Richardson sir. He says the dignitaries are secure." said M'rella.

"On screen." said Asuma.

When the viewscreen lit up they saw a rather beat up looking Starfleet Captain in a filthy dress uniform. He was of human descent. The man said, "I'm Captain Joshua Richardson of the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_."

Asuma said, "I'm Captain Asuma Sarutobi of the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_. How can we assist you Captain Richardson?"

"Do you have Marines?" asked Richardson. "I have pirates all over my ship!"

Asuma glanced over at Shizuka who was all but foaming at the mouth to cheer. He sweat dropped at her antics and thought, ' _We probably have more Marine Squads than any other heavy cruiser in the fleet_.' "We have plenty of Marines Captain Richardson. I'll let your Marine Major coordinate with my Security Chief here and get them where they are needed most." Asuma looked at his readout of the _Ptolemy_. "What about the reactor leak you have aboard?"

Richardson growled, "It's been locked down and the plasma is being ejected into space. It was due to sabotage I'm afraid."

' _God only knows how many casualties they have from that_.' thought Asuma dourly. "I'll have my Medical Staff on standby then. Do you have the Ambassadors secured? It would be best to beam them over as soon as possible."

"They are down under the protection of my Marine Major on the starliner pod." said Richardson. "I'll patch him through to your Security Chief now…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.182** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.182: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. It took nearly twenty-four hours to get the last of the pirates captured or eliminated that were aboard the_ _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ _. Of the estimated 150 boarders the Marines aboard the_ _Ptolemy_ _held out despite the fact they were outnumbered two to one. From the reports I've read so far, Lieutenant Nadeshiko and our Marine contingent did an outstanding job and the 42 remaining pirates surrendered willingly after suffering huge losses at our hands._

 _Ambassadors Zhukov and Y'zvar have made themselves at home in our V.I.P. quarters and though Federation Ambassador Zhukov was terrified of the whole situation on the_ _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ _, Kzinti Ambassador Y'zvar said our Marines and the entire crew of the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _have left a 'favorable impression' upon him. Considering this is coming from a felinoid that is over two meters tall I felt it would be best to just take the compliment._

 _The_ _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ _is underway again and headed towards Starbase 6 for repairs and her crew for medical treatment. On that note, our new Chief Medical Officer Doctor Shizune Kato is nothing short of outstanding. Her organizational skills saved many lives as she basically converted the starliner pod's cargo bay into a field hospital in no time. Our medical team is excellent but with Doctor Kato in charge I am positive it will be that much better. Our Marines suffered injuries but not one of them was fatal or debilitating. Considering that combined with our first ship to ship combat record we have been extremely lucky_ ….

The remaining seven day voyage to Earth was largely uneventful for the crew of the _Gettysburg_ though Kzinti Ambassador Y'zvar eating his own weight in raw meat daily was a bit taxing on the ship's cooks because it had to be spiced to the Ambassador's tastes. Y'zvar also was also given a tour of the ship by Captain Sarutobi as a matter of diplomatic courtesy. The Ambassador was _very_ interested in the combat capabilities of the _Gettyburg_ but given its classified nature Asuma was able to sidestep that line of questions. Captain Sarutobi wasn't too keen on giving away military secrets even to potential allies….

On the other hand, Ambassador Zhukov was more than happy to stay in his quarters as it turned out which suited Asuma and his staff just fine. Zhukov had been rather spooked by the disaster on the _U.S.S. Ptolemy_ and was writing up a personal memorandum that included travelling on heavily armed warships like the _Gettysburg_ on future trips. Actually the Ambassador was hoping to get a dreadnought next time….

….

 **Stardate 2274.190, Hamilcar Pirate Hidden Base, Klingon Territory**

The _Whale_ and the _Barracuda_ were able to evade Federation (and Klingon) anti-piracy patrols and slipped back into a hidden Base Station in Klingon Territory. The Head of the Hamilcar Cartel was less than thrilled with the situation with the loss of the _Piranha_ but it couldn't be helped since they ran into a Federation Navy combat squadron instead of the few police ships in that were _supposed_ to be in that sector. Even worse the _Piranha's_ destruction couldn't be covered by the advanced credits that the Klingon Empire gave the Hamilcar Clan and the Cartel had no captured Ambassadors to hand over for the rest of the cash….

'The Baroness' Tayuya naturally was cursing up a storm at Sakon and Ukon (In the end Ukon and most of his crew survived from the _Piranha_ by some minor miracle).

….Sometimes it sucked to be a pirate….

….

 **Stardate 2274.191, Earth, Spacedock,** ** _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

The _Gettysburg_ docked flawlessly in the Spacedock over Earth. The Ambassadors disembarked and Captain Sarutobi and his crew were glad to be rid of their high maintenance guests. Asuma was bound and determined to get a Chief Science Officer while they were in the Spacedock as the situation with Lieutenant Wanda Hardy had come to a head and the Captain wanted her off of his ship _yesterday_.

Mabui was less than thrilled with Lieutenant Hardy herself and was already drafting the transfer orders for Wanda at Asuma's instructions. ' _Insubordination, disruptive behavior, unseemly actions for an officer of a Lieutenant's stature_ ….' "I hate to give such a negative fitness report but Wanda Hardy is a liability on the Bridge. Captain Sarutobi should have put Naruto in charge from the outset…."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Google: NCC-3801 U.S.S. Ptolemy to see this ship's appearance.

*② Starliner pods are passenger pods for V.I.P.s and such. There are other types of pods such as battle pods for combat and standard cargo pods for a variety of goods.

*③ Google: NCC-300 Burke Class Frigate to see the appearance of these smaller ships.

*④ Google: Orion Salvage Cruiser to see this ship's appearance.

*⑤ Google: Orion Raider Cruiser to see this type of ship's appearance.

*⑥ Fish names were a common theme of the Hamilcar Pirate Clan; don't ask me why.

It seems the dreaded footnotes have returned with a vengeance. Next chapter we'll be starting a new arc. It will either have the _Gettysburg_ transferred to the Klingon Border or to deep space exploration. I haven't decided which idea I like better yet. The _Gettysburg_ will get a Chief Science Officer as well. We also saw some familiar faces among the Hamilcar Cartel of Pirates. The Sound Four seemed just like the motley crew for that kind of work to me. They will show up again eventually. See you next time. Blue out. 5/25/18


	38. Chapter 38

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Welcome to the Tkon Empire Arc. I've had this idea for some time but it never really gelled till now. Just as an aside I am working on other stories as well. I'm just on a roll with Infinity Divide. Here is chapter 38. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 ** _Stardate 2274.191, Earth, Spacedock,_** ** _NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _The_ _Gettysburg_ _docked flawlessly in the Spacedock over Earth. The Ambassadors disembarked and Captain Sarutobi and his crew were glad to be rid of their high maintenance guests. Asuma was bound and determined to get a Chief Science Officer while they were in the Spacedock as the situation with Lieutenant Wanda Hardy had come to a head and the Captain wanted her off of his ship_ _yesterday_ _._

 _Mabui was less than thrilled with Lieutenant Hardy herself and was already drafting the transfer orders for Wanda at Asuma's instructions. '_ _Insubordination, disruptive behavior, unseemly actions for an officer of a Lieutenant's stature…._ _' "I hate to give such a negative fitness report but Wanda Hardy is a liability on the Bridge. Captain Sarutobi should have put Naruto in charge from the outset…."_

….

Chapter 38

 **Stardate 2274.196, Planet Earth, Spacedock,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

After a bit of maneuvering with Starfleet personnel Captain Sarutobi was finally happy with his choice of a Chief Science Officer; Lieutenant Commander Lyakat. Lyakat was a Saurian*① of some repute in the scientific community for his outstanding work in archeology; specifically the little known extinct Tkon Empire.*② Asuma knew it was a tradeoff though. The _U.S.S._ _Gettysburg_ and her crew would be going on several archeological digs because Doctor Lyakat was originally slated to go on a science ship to continue his work….

….Not that Lyakat was complaining. He'd been on several small, cramped, undersupplied science vessels and the idea of travelling on a large and well equipped cruiser held several advantages as far as the ruddy skinned Saurian was concerned. He was walking from the Spacedock through the airlock to board the _Gettysburg_ and had convinced Captain Sarutobi to give Lieutenant Wanda Hardy a second chance. Commander Lyakat had worked with her before and felt while she wasn't the best at command; she was competent in the support position. Asuma agreed that if Commander Lyakat could change her workplace bully attitude in the next few months that she could stay aboard.

Asuma ushered his new Chief Science Officer Aboard and said, "Welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ Lieutenant Commander Lyakat. I hope that your tour of duty aboard proves to be a productive and enjoyable one."

Commander Lyakat replied, "I'm looking forward to it Captain." He pulled his goggles from his brow and snapped them over his yellow eyes. "My; this ship is well lit. I'll have to adjust my personal quarters to a lower light."

"Will it be a problem Commander?" asked Captain Sarutobi.

Lyakat waved it off. "Not at all Captain. That's why I have my goggles on hand. Being from a nocturnal people has its good and bad points. If the lighting fails you know who to call." added the Saurian in good humor.

Asuma chuckled. "I'll bear that in mind."

….

Later on the day of his arrival Lieutenant Commander Lyakat called the science staff together in the ship's labs and noticed among all the blue shirts was the gold shirted Naruto. ' _What's someone from command doing here?_ ' he wondered. After introducing himself he asked everyone else to do the same and to name their specialties. Lieutenant Hardy was thrilled to see her old superior as he was easygoing and approachable.

"I'm Lieutenant Wanda Hardy from Alpha Centauri and my Master's Degrees are in Botany and Xenobiology." said the brown haired woman proudly. ' _Thank god Commander Lyakat is here. Here is kind and understanding unlike Commander Kumo. She's intimidating and intolerant_.'

Commander Lyakat motioned to Naruto next. The blonde said, "I am Lieutenant Naruto M'Fau of Vulcan. My Doctoral Degrees are in Genetics and Astrodynamics." He then added, "I double as a watch officer in command and engineering as needed."

' _Ah, that explains the gold shirt_.' thought Lyakat. ' _Wait a minute_ ….' "Lieutenant Naruto, were you a student of Doctor Devlok of the Vulcan Science Academy?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes Commander, I was one of Doctor Devlok's graduate students."

"I consulted with Doctor Devlok on many occasions." said Lyakat. "I'm pleased to have another archeologist aboard." ' _This is excellent! Doctor Devlok raved about this young man being a prized student of his_.'

Maya Ayasugi soon introduced herself as well as the rest of the science staff. Seeing he had several members of the much vaunted _Think Tank_ on his team had the Saurian scientist almost giddy with excitement….

….

 **Stardate 2274.198, Earth, Section 31 Headquarters**

Tower was standing in front of the Section 31 Commander whose name he did not know. Tower said, "Commander, the _Think Tank_ is aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ which is bound for Taurus Reach. Wouldn't it be in our best interests to remove such promising candidates from such a hazardous mission? There is a high probability they will come into conflict with the Tholians or the Klingons."

The Commander stroked his chin in the low light and said, "It will be an interesting test for our brightest stars don't you think?"

Tower recognized an order when he heard one. "Should we put one of our own aboard the _Gettysburg_ Commander?"

"It is already taken care of Tower." said the Commander.

"Understood." acknowledged Tower.

….

 **Stardate 2274.200,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_** **, Staff Meeting Room**

 _Personal log of Captain Asuma Sarutobi, Stardate 2274.200: The_ _Gettysburg_ _has left Earth orbit and things are going well. We were originally scheduled for a deep space exploration tour but with Lieutenant Commander Lyakat aboard we've been slated to go to Taurus Reach*③ which is a dangerous area to say the least. Apparently Starfleet meant to send him out there years ago but due to the multiple conflicts in the area his expedition was cancelled. Now it is up to the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _to do the job. I just hope the crew doesn't mutiny on me_ ….

Captain Sarutobi addressed his staff once they were settled in the Meeting Room. "We're going to Taurus Reach to conduct archeological studies. As you all are well aware it's a bit of a hotspot so we will be avoiding contact with other vessels if at all possible."

Mabui's green eyes widened. "Vanguard Station*④ was _destroyed_ by the Tholians there less than six years ago Captain. Calling Taurus Reach a _hotspot_ is a galactic level understatement."

Asuma smiled weakly. ' _Leave it to Mabui to spell it out for everyone else_.' "I'm sure everyone in this room is aware of that Commander Kumo but we're going there on an archeological survey. The Tholians and the Klingons have pulled out of the area as much as we have. The Federation is no longer building Starbases or promoting aggressive colonization there as we once were. After Vanguard Station fell I think everyone had enough of Taurus Reach for a while."

Samui asked, "Sir, when entering a hostile zone Starfleet regulations are for silent running. Even though this isn't an espionage mission wouldn't it be best to adhere to those protocols?"

"Silent running won't be necessary Lieutenant Schrodinger." said Asuma. "Should we run into a hostile vessel we will withdraw. Starfleet's orders are to avoid battles if possible. Remember this is still open territory though. We have as much right as anyone to be there."

Sassaav asked, "Assuming the Klingons and Tholians actually _agree_ that it's open territory and don't attack us on sight then what exactly are we looking for? Cruising into potentially hostile territory is reckless unless what we are looking for is damned important. The research that was done their before has all but been blacked out of the Federation records."

"The previous research done at Vanguard Station was destroyed along with the Starbase and will not be continued." said Asuma. "Our efforts are in an entirely different area. On that note I'll turn things over to Commander Lyakat who will explain our mission there."

The Saurian Officer stood up and said, "In short we are going to explore the Eremar System. Eremar is a pulsar star system located in the Taurus Reach, estimated to be two hundred million years old. The Federation stellar cartography databases list it as FGC PSR 0108+143, but it was named Eremar by the Vulcans who had charted the area with automated survey probes centuries prior. Eremar is situated in the centre of what was the Tkon Empire. It was believed to have been the Tkon's core system which, when the star was detonated, crippled the entire empire. We are hoping to find remnants of the Tkon Empire's technology and culture there."

Rafi raised her hand and said, "Forgive my ignorance sir but I've never even heard of the Tkon Empire."

"That's because they went extinct 600,000 years ago." said Lyakat. "Very few _archeologists_ have heard of the Tkon Empire so don't feel bad about it." ' _The only person aboard this ship who might have heard of the Tkon Empire is Naruto M'Fau and that's only because he was Doctor Devlok's student. Shame he's on the bridge instead of at this briefing_.'

Doctor Shizune Kato asked, "What is it specifically we are looking for in the Eremar System Commander Lyakat?"

Lyakat shrugged. " _Anything_ would be of scientific interest to be honest. The Tkon were so scientifically advanced that they could actually move entire planets and solar systems. The Eremar System is hopefully the first step in a long journey we have to learn about the Tkon. There were literally trillions of beings in the Tkon Empire before it basically vanished overnight."

….

 **Stardate 2274.202, Klingon Starbase 9, Imperial Klingon Vessel** ** _Dawnslayer_**

The D7C command cruiser _IKV Dawnslayer_ was docked at Klingon Starbase 9 in preparation for a mission from the higher ups. Recently promoted Lieutenant Kiba Warrigul _*⑤_ wasn't privy to where they were going and didn't dare question his Mother Tsume as she looked like she was already spoiling for a fight for some reason. He sighed and went to his quarters as his shift was over. Getting out his data pad he decided to record an entry….

 _Personal Log of Lieutenant Kiba Warrigal, Stardate 2274.202: It seems that something big is brewing but as a Junior Officer I do not know what it is. The_ _Dawnslayer_ _has been rotating between the Kzinti and Federation Borders. The results of the recent Fourth Klingon-Kzinti War ended with inconclusive results but an undeclared war of border skirmishes continues to this day. When the high command authorizes an invasion by the Deep Space Fleet cannot come a day too soon. We had those cowardly furballs on the run until the armistice was declared. It is infuriating._

 _At any rate the_ _Dawnslayer_ _is equipping long range drones with full reloads for some reason. Given the expense of those drones I believe we are headed towards a combat assignment. The question is where…?_

….

The _Dawnslayer_ left dock at Starbase 9 two days later. It wasn't until they were underway that Tsume gave Kiba a course heading as he was at the helm. Tsume ordered, "Helm; lay in a course for Base Station 18. Warp Factor three."

As Kiba punched in the coordinates and acknowledged his orders but the thoughts running through his mind were, ' _What in Gre'thor are we travelling to the Tholian border for?!_ '

….

 **Stardate 2274.208,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg,_** **Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters**

Naruto was reading up on the Tkon Empire from his notes that he took back at the Vulcan Science Academy under Doctor Devlok. There wasn't a lot there but Naruto felt any knowledge he could glean on the subject could be useful later.

 _'Introduction: Beyond some information regarding planets in the Empire and an understanding of their script and some of their history, little is known about the Tkon by the Federation._

 _Territory: It is believed that the Tkon Empire once crossed the boundary of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants where it occupied a large section of the Taurus Reach where it was centered around the Eremar System. Their territory extended into the area claimed currently by the_ _Klingon Empire_ _though did not extend into the space used by the_ _Tholians_ _. It also reached into areas of the United Federation of Planets. Known Colonies of the Tkon were the planets Wsor and Rzom._

 _Government: The Empire was based on the Tkon home world where its heart was within the capitol of_ _Ozari-thul_ _. Its supreme leader took on the title of_ _Empress_ _and its symbol was that of the_ _Endless Flame_ _._

 _Religion: Little is known but Ozari was a_ _deity_ _that was worshiped in ancient_ _history_ _. Ozari was part of the_ _religious_ _beliefs of the ancient_ _Tkon_ _civilization_ _long before they became spacefarers._

 _History: Historical eras for this civilization were described as_ _Ages_ _measured by the Tkon using galactic motionary startime charts. The latter ages of the Tkon Empire were_ _Bastu_ _,_ _Cimi_ _,_ _Xora_ _and_ _Makto_ _. During the Age of Xora the Empire put its resources towards the '_ _Great Endeavor_ ' _where the entirety of the empire poured its vast knowledge and resources to save their home world. It was during the Age of Makto when the central star of their home system destabilized and went_ _supernova_ _; thus ending the Empire._

 _Destruction: In the aftermath, rumors persisted that survivors of the empire still existed but had scattered to the world's that were once under their rule. To the other races, the Tkon became a legend that was passed down through later generations_.'

….

The blonde finished going through his notes and turned off his tablet. He also read what the ship's computer had and found very little. The blonde hybrid sighed. ' _We are nearing Taurus Reach. There just isn't much to go on here. Loading their script into a universal translator would be a wise move. I know Doctor Devlok is still in a coma so Commander Lyakat is the expert on the Tkon now. I will have to converse with him when he has the time._ '

….

Naruto stopped in at Lieutenant Commander Lyakat's Office to exchange notes with the Chief Science Officer about the Tkon Empire. Lyakat was immensely pleased by this move. The Saurian said, "I'm glad to see you already have some knowledge about the Tkon. I already have a universal translator program to decipher their script. You are welcome to a copy of course. The Tkon Empire was Doctor Devlok's ' _pet subject'_ if you will. I was hoping that you picked up on it a bit in his lectures." Lyakat motioned to his desk. "Please take a seat if you have the time."

The blonde nodded and sat down. "Doctor Devlok had many theories but by his own admission few cold hard facts." said Naruto. "I was reading my notes from his lectures and it seems that pouring all of their resources into their capital at Eremar ultimately led to their downfall. This would indicate to me that they were centralized to a degree that is hard to comprehend."

"It is difficult to conceive Lieutenant." said the Saurian in agreement. "It's also difficult to understand why they didn't simply move their home world to a new location instead of having a supernova wipe them out. Of course there are many factors we don't know about so I'm certain that point of view is immensely simplified." Lyakat smiled and asked, "What do you think the odds are that we'll find anything in the Eremar System?"

"It is impossible to calculate." said Naruto. "To use a human idiom the chances are slim to none."

The Chief Science Officer laughed. "I agree wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, even the smallest chance of finding out more about these people is a worthwhile endeavor. When the supernova occurred the planets in the system may have been blown into dust or charred to cinders. But the only way to find out is to go there…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.210, Klingon Base Station 18, IKV** ** _Dawnslayer_**

The _IKV Dawnslayer_ under the command of Commodore Tsume Warrigul was temporarily assigned to the famous Tholian Border Harassment Fleet*⑥ so the _Dawnslayer's_ sistership _IKV Darkslayer_ under Commodore Kiroth could go to Klingon Starbase 9 for a phaser refit. Originally Commodore Kiroth was to retain command but the threat of Tsume gutting him for the insult to her rank made Kiroth decide to go with his command ship for the next few weeks….

As they entered the area Lieutenant Kiba saw three heavy cruisers and four frigates (one was a scout ship) on screen. They were all docked at Base Station 18. This was the core of the Harassment Fleet. He turned to his Mother Tsume and she said, "Contact the base station Lieutenant."

"Aye Commodore." said Kiba. "This is the _IKV Dawnslayer_ base station 18; respond."

"This is Base Station 18. Welcome _Dawnslayer_. We salute your arrival and salute Commodore Tsume also. Welcome to the Harassment Fleet."

' _I have a feeling that this little trip is going to be eventful_.' thought Kiba.

….

 **Stardate 2274.215, Federation Border,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Captain Sarutobi was sitting in his command chair on the bridge when he heard Samui say, "Now leaving Federation Space. We are entering the Taurus Reach."

Asuma felt a combination of excitement and trepidation and thought, ' _Well, here we are.'_ "What is our estimated time to the Eremar System Lieutenant Schrodinger?"

"At our current heading and speed of warp factor three we will arrive at the Eremar System in four days sir." answered Samui.

Asuma turned to the sciences station where Commander Lyakat was looking into his sensor readout and asked, "Any ships in the area Commander Lyakat?"

"Only Federation ones behind us sir. There is nothing ahead of us even at maximum sensor range." answered the Saurian scientist.

"Let's hope it stays that way." said Asuma. "Steady as she goes Ensign Rafi."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged the young Trill woman.

….

Naruto was dozing in his quarters with T'Lyra curled up into his side in bed. The blonde hybrid was always amazed at how comfortable he was with her there. Truthfully he'd been concerned for their safety in the Taurus Reach but there were no signs of danger or anything happening. He thought back to dinner that evening when he was over at Shizuka's quarters eating with his two mates….

" _Things like this happen often_." explained Shizuka. " _We go into a danger zone and everyone is on needles and pins….then nothing important happens and we all end up tired and bored to tears_."

" _It does seem prudent to be on alert though_." said T'Lyra. " _If we were caught off guard it could be disastrous_."

The black haired beauty nodded. " _I agree that we have to be alert. I'm just saying not to expect anything huge to happen. What do you think Naruto? You've been awfully quiet this evening_."

" _I'm more concerned with what we might find than potential enemies at this point_." said the blonde.

" _What do you mean?_ " asked T'Lyra. " _Isn't this just an archeological research mission?_ "

Naruto explained, " _The Tkon were a race of immense power and advanced technology. They could even move planets and stars. As much as I want to find out and learn about them I worry that others would use this sort of research to construct weapons of untold power. Technology is a two edged sword. It is difficult to not be concerned_."

" _You worry too much Naruto_." said Shizuka. " _Just concentrate on having dinner with your two lovely brides to be_ …."

….

 **Stardate 2274.217, Klingon Base Station 18**

Tsume wanted to tear her hair out. Commodore Kiroth had left enough paperwork behind to account for a fleet _four times_ the size of the Harassment Fleet. "Damn that bastard Kiroth. When he gets back I'm going to hack him to pieces and feed his guts to the targs!"

Her yeoman was a younger male by the name of Korris. He heard Commodore Tsume ranting and raving through the door and feared for his life. Korris gulped and thought, ' _I must perform my duty. It is a good day to die_.'

Knocking on the door to Tsume's office he heard her yell, " ** _What do you want?_** "

' _Yep, definitely going to die_.' he thought. "Yeoman Korris reporting Commodore."

"Enter." growled Tsume. Korris came in and saw the office was a bit of a mess. It looked like someone had gone wild with a paper shredder. Tsume's eyebrow twitched and she said. "What is it Korris?"

Korris jumped to attention and said, "One of our long range satellite's sensors have detected a cruiser sized vessel at maximum range. Judging by its course the ship came out of Federation Territory."

The Commodore suddenly smiled evilly enough to make her subordinate tremble. "Tell me more yeoman…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.219, Taurus Reach,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

In the ship's staff room Asuma was addressing his bridge crew. "The Eremar System is just a few hours away. At this point we've located two terrestrial worlds and a gas giant orbiting the pulsar so there are possibilities. Commander Lyakat?"

Lyakat stood and said, "Thank you Captain." He activated a hologram of the system. "Of the two terrestrial worlds in this system the inner one is the more likely candidate to have been the Class M World that was the Tkon capitol world which had the city of Ozari-thul upon it."

Samui asked, "What was the name of the Capitol world itself?"

The Saurian scientist answered, "It may have been called Ozari-thul as well. The records are unclear about whether the Capitol was a city or the planet itself. According to the writings Ozari-thul was a construct as opposed to the planet itself but we have to make room for error. It always struck me as being odd that other worlds are mentioned by name but not the Capitol."

….

The _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ cruised into the Eremar system at a slow pace to avoid asteroid damage. The entire system seemed to be filled with asteroids and dust dating back thousands of millennia. The pulsar provided very little light and the _Gettysburg_ seemed to be plodding its way through the darkness. "Now entering the orbital path of the first planet." said Rafi. "Our estimated time of arrival to Eremar I is thirty one minutes."

Shizuka said, "No damage to shields Captain. I recommend we maintain shield reinforcement in all this dust regardless."

"Make it so Chief Nadeshiko." replied Asuma. "Any signs of other vessels on the long range sensors?"

"Negative sir." replied the security Chief.

Mabui looked at the planet they were crawling towards on screen. She asked, "Commander Lyakat; are there any signs of activity from Planet Eremar I?"

Lyakat looked up from his scanner readout and said, "Eremar I is a cold, lifeless rock with no signs of power or life at this range. Until we are in orbit I'm afraid all of this dust will prevent us from seeing much. There are some interesting surface features on the planet's surface from the supernova however. The planet appears to be tidally locked towards the pulsar with the less damaged side facing what used to be the star."

"The _less_ damaged side is facing the pulsar?" asked Shizuka.

The Saurian scientist explained, "After miles of the surface was blown away on the _more_ damaged side in the supernova the planet slowly came to a halt and the heavier, _less_ damaged side became tidally locked so it was always facing the gravitational pull of the pulsar. It's all physics chief."

"Reminds me of why I'm _not_ a physicist." Shizuka groused.

"Regardless it doesn't make immediate sense at first glance." said Lyakat. "I would be surprised if Eremar II didn't have the same effect only less pronounced."

….

 **Taurus Reach,** ** _IKV Abomination_**

The D6 heavy cruiser _IKV Abomination_ was dispatched from Klingon Base Station 18 to deal with the Federation Cruiser that was creeping around in Taurus Reach. Commodore Tsume wanted to deal with the issue personally but was duty bound to ' _get the thrice damned paperwork in order_ ' so she sent Captain Burot and the _Abomination_ to do the job. His young first officer Konmel was thrilled to have such an honor as hunting the Federation but Burot was more interested in finding out exactly what the Federation was up to. The cruiser (type unknown) had slipped into a no named, lifeless pulsar system for some odd reason and had travelled a _long_ , long way to do so.

The relay satellite had been sending information to the _Abomination_ and they were still three days away from the Federation ship. ' _Just what are the Feds searching for…?'_ wondered Captain Burot. _'That system is uninhabitable as far as we know. Maybe there's something worth mining out there? I suppose we'll know soon enough_ ….'

Burot's musings were interrupted by his first officer Konmel. "What do you suppose the Flatheads are up to sir?! They'll be like insects against us!"

The Captain smacked his subordinate to the floor and said, "Quiet Konmel! We need to figure out what they are doing out here, not attacking them like a rabid targ!" ' _How the hell did this idiot become an officer? Oh yeah; his Father is a Planetary Governor. His idiocy is going to get him killed on the battlefield_ ….'

Konmel bounced back up from his position on the floor and asked, "So what do you think of Commodore Tsume's daughter Hana? Eh? _Eh?!_ She's a _fine_ piece of work! I think she'd make a fine wife for me!"

Captain Burot barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said, "By all means try to court her then Konmel. Read her some love poetry!" ' _What was I saying? His idiocy is going to get him killed_ _ **off**_ _the battlefield as well_ ….'

 _Sometimes it was tough being a responsible Captain in the Klingon Navy_ ….

….

 **Eremar System, Eremar I orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Lieutenant Commander Lyakat looked at the scanners and sighed. "The supernova reduced this world to a shattered core. The massive fissures on the surface show just how close this planet came to coming apart completely and turning into nothing but asteroids. If there was ever life on this planet any signs of it have been completely obliterated."

Commander Kumo said, "I didn't expect to find much here but the devastation here is awe striking."

"I agree." said Asuma. "How big do you estimate this planet was before the supernova Lyakat?"

The Saurian said, "With the crust completely blown away to the mantle I'd estimate about 30% of the planet was blown away on the damaged side. It looks like about 15% was removed on the less damaged side."

"Sounds more like peeling an onion than a planetary disaster." said Shizuka.

"Actually that's not a bad analogy Chief Nadeshiko." said Lyakat. The less damaged side's surface probably peeled away after the initial hit destroyed the facing side."

Captain Sarutobi said, "Well, it's still an interesting phenomenon. Once we map the surface we'll head to Eremar II…."

….

Hours later the _U.S.S Gettysburg_ was in orbit of Eremar II. Captain Sarutobi was scrutinizing the readings on the screen. "What exactly are we looking at Commander Lyakat?" he asked puzzled. "The less damaged side appears to have vague geometric shapes here and there."

The Saurian scientist's bulging yellow eyes were full of awe. "They appear to be the ruins of a massive city….built just beneath the surface in a geofront.*⑦ A regular satellite with no deep surface sensors would never detect it sir."

"I have to say _I'm_ impressed." said Mabui. "I was expecting nothing but dust."

"As was I to be quite honest." admitted Lyakat. "This is simply breathtaking."

"How much surface was blown away I wonder?" said Samui.

"I'd say only a kilometer or so was removed from the surface on the less damaged side of Eremar II. There might be remnants on the more damaged side as well but I doubt it." said the Saurian.

"Even if that's the case this is a stupendous find." said Asuma. "It looks like we have some serious work to do after all…."

' _I wonder if this is actually Ozari-thul_ ….' pondered Lyakat in wonder.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① The Saurians are a reptilian species from the planet Sauria (Psi Serpentis IV), and members of the United Federation of Planets since the mid 23rd century. They are best known for Saurian brandy, one of the most popular and infamous alcoholic drinks in known space. Saurian brandy was even exported to Romulan territory. Because other races were always so eager to come to them for trade, the Saurians, whose civilization predates humanity, never had to advance very far into space. Since becoming members of the Federation many had joined Starfleet. Saurians have skin of red, brown, or green, and large bulging eyes. The Saurians are a nocturnal race, giving them a weakness to bright light, forcing them to wear goggles over their eyes when in areas illuminated above a low level.

*② The Tkon Empire, also known as the Empire of the Endless Flame, was a massive empire that existed over 600,000 years ago. The Empire had a population of trillions and was highly advanced technologically. The Tkon had the ability to move entire stars, using planets as outposts for defense. The Empire ended when the central star of their home system destabilized and went supernova.

*③ The Taurus Reach is a region of space in the general direction of the constellation Taurus as seen from Earth adjacent to the territory of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire (who refer to the region as the Gonmog Sector), and the Tholian Assembly (who call it the Shedai Sector). This is considered a strategically important sector of space by all three powers.

*④ Vanguard Station was the name given to Starfleet Starbase 47. It was constructed by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers between 2263 and 2265 in the Taurus Reach. It was destroyed in 2268 after self destructing in the face of a Tholian assault. (By 2270, the designation of "Starbase 47" had been transferred to another facility near the Romulan Neutral Zone).

*⑤ You didn't think I'd forgotten about Kiba did you?

*⑥ The Tholians took over an area claimed but unoccupied by the Klingon Empire resulting in _extremely_ bad blood between the two. The Klingon Empire considered this a stain on their honor but due to other hostile borders (Kzintis, Hydrans and potentially the Federation) they couldn't spare the ships and manpower to crush the Tholians like they wanted to. However, the Klingons had a small fleet stationed there at all times to cause as much trouble as possible. This was the Tholian Border Harassment Fleet or simply Harassment Fleet. It was commanded by a Commodore rather than a full Admiral as it was smaller in size and importance.

*⑦ A geofront is a large, excavated subterranean space typically used for urban expansion.

Well, the Tkon Empire Arc is off to a good start. This chapter was a bit of a data dump but it was necessary to set things up. Next chapter we'll be exploring Eremar II up close and personal. What secrets lie below the surface? See you next time. Blue out. 5/30/18


	39. Chapter 39

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Not much to add in author's notes this time. The Tkon Arc continues. Here is chapter 39. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _Hours later the U.S.S Gettysburg was in orbit of Eremar II. Captain Sarutobi was scrutinizing the readings on the screen. "What exactly are we looking at Commander Lyakat?" he asked puzzled. "The less damaged side appears to have vague geometric shapes here and there."_

 _The Saurian scientist's bulging yellow eyes were full of awe. "They appear to be the ruins of a massive city….built just beneath the surface in a geofront. A regular satellite with no deep surface sensors would never detect it sir."_

 _"I have to say_ _I'm_ _impressed." said Mabui. "I was expecting nothing but dust."_

 _"As was I to be quite honest." admitted Lyakat. "This is simply breathtaking."_

 _"How much surface was blown away I wonder?" said Samui._

 _"I'd say only a kilometer or so was removed from the surface on the less damaged side of Eremar II. There might be remnants on the more damaged side as well but I doubt it." said the Saurian._

 _"Even if that's the case this is a stupendous find." said Asuma. "It looks like we have some serious work to do after all…."_

 _'_ _I wonder if this is actually Ozari-thul…._ _' pondered Lyakat in wonder_.

….

Chapter 39

 **Stardate 2274.220, Eremar System, Eremar II orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ships Log, Stardate 2274.220: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. Our discovery of a geofront on Eremar II has the entire crew excited. Our deep surface scans show the subterranean city to have a thin methane atmosphere as well as liquid and ice forms methane in the city. Our sensors detect no life but given we are scanning through a kilometer of solid rock it would be next to impossible anyway. We are currently assembling an Away Team that will be taking a shuttlecraft to the surface to enter through the few holes in the surface that lead to the city itself_ ….

Naruto was fitting out his survival suit with 8 hour tanks down in the shuttle bay. Lieutenant Commander Lyakat, Wanda Hardy, Maya Ayasugi, Shizuka Nadeshiko and Commander Mabui Kumo were also going on the mission. Naruto crossed fingers with T'Lyra in a silent farewell before he looked at the shuttle. On the side the name _NCC-1728/01 George G. Meade_ was emblemized. The blonde hybrid had everything on but his helmet when he boarded the shuttlecraft and took the pilot's seat. Beside him was Commander Kumo and the others filed into the back. The last two seats in the shuttlecraft were filled with various pieces of equipment for the mission.

"This is shuttlecraft _Meade_ to _Gettysburg_." said Naruto into the shuttle's communicator. "We are ready for takeoff."

The shuttle bay doors opened and M'rella's voice came over the speaker. " _All systems are green_ _Meade_ _. You may launch when ready. Good luck and good hunting_." Mabui nodded at Naruto and the shuttle was soon out in space descending toward the geofront on Eremar II.

Naruto smoothly flew the shuttle down to the surface where they stopped over the first of several holes in the roof of the geofront. Mabui was looking at the gaping fissure below them with the scanners and said, "No go on this one Lieutenant Naruto. There is debris blocking the entrance. Let's try the one a kilometer to port."

"Understood Commander." said the blonde hybrid. "Turning to port."

On the fourth opening they found there was plenty of clearance and descended through the roof of the geofront. Switching on the shuttle's high intensity spotlights they travelled downwards nearly a kilometer before they emerged inside the geofront proper. Before them was a vast complex of towers hanging from the roof and rising up from the ground. Many of the buildings had fallen or collapsed but considering how ancient the structures were it was a testament to the people who built them.

Maya Ayasugi gasped at the sheer size of the subterranean city and said, "It's like looking at a cave full of manmade stalactites and stalagmites. This is amazing."

The others were eagerly looking out the portholes as well. Wanda Hardy said, "This is almost impossible to believe. It must have taken centuries to build this."

"As impressive as it is now imagine what it would have looked like when the city was alive with people." said Commander Lyakat.

Mabui was more practical and said, "Let's find a safe place to land."

….

Naruto soon landed the _Meade_ on a paved area that bordered what appeared to be a lake of partially frozen methane. Once everyone put their helmets of their survival suits on; they stepped outside the shuttle and onto the paved plaza they landed on. Mabui signaled the ship. "Kumo to _Gettysburg_ , do you copy?"

" _Loud and clear Commander Kumo_." answered Captain Sarutobi. " _What do you have to report?_ "

"We've landed safely in some kind of large plaza. The place is in amazing shape considering it went through a supernova. We'll report on the hour whether we find anything or not…."

….

Lieutenant Hardy was scanning the methane lake with her tricorder and found the ice one lake was very thin. "The lake is covered with a thin layer of ice Commander Lyakat." she said. Wanda put her foot down on the ice and it cracked instantly. "It's not safe to cross."

That was when they heard something swish in the distance and Naruto reacted like lightning. He shielded his hand with chakra and blocked a whip like blade that would have decapitated Hardy. The whip receded back into the darkness and a creature that resemble a Gerridae*① emerged. It leapt forward onto Naruto who kicked its armored carapace back into the lake. It was about the size of a large dog. The creature lunged again at Naruto who had placed himself between it and the petrified Hardy. Then its whip like appendages lashed out at Naruto. Naruto said "Wind blades!" and the front appendages were cut off. One flew by Naruto and skidded up on shore and the other landed on the thin ice.

The creature howled in a haunting tone like a whale song before a phaser beam courtesy of Shizuka Nadeshiko shot it dead. Then the thing buckled over and sank into the lake.

"Good god!" said Ayasugi. "That thing looked like a massive Water Strider."

Hardy had scrambled back from the lake edge and was badly shaken up. Mabui was attempting to calm the woman down.

Naruto's eyes crackled with chakra and he simply said, "There are more out there. Stay away from the methane lakes."

"Are you alright Naruto?" asked Shizuka in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine Shizuka." replied the blonde. Naruto picked up the blade that the strider lost to his wind jutsu and took it up closer to the shuttle where it was well lit. ' _This would make a good sword_.' He thought to himself as he looked at the jet black appendage.

Lyakat scanned the area with his tricorder and said, "There are a number of them out in the deeper parts of the lake. They are quadruped insectoids and the tips of their legs are like blades. They walk on the surface of the liquid methane. I suppose we could call them methane striders for now."

Commander Kumo said, "Well, we discovered life down here even if it is hostile. Considering the size of that strider there must be an ecosystem to support that size of predator." Mabui turned to Wanda and said, "Get up Lieutenant Hardy. The danger has passed and you are uninjured."

Hardy nodded and stood up shakily. She shuffled over to Naruto and said, "Thank you for saving my life. I never saw it coming…."

Naruto simply said, "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

….

 **Eremar II orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

"Our records show nothing of that nature in the Memory banks Commander Lyakat." said Shar over the communicator as he manned the science station. "Calling them striders is as good a label as anything. Are you planning to bring back that sample with you?"

" _That's an affirmative Ensign Shar_." said Lyakat. " _We're in no position to try and capture one so the sample will have to do_."

"Understood Commander. Be careful down there. _Gettysburg_ out." said Shar. The Andorian looked at the tricorder scans of the strider that the Away Team relayed to the ship. ' _It does look like something that should live in a black subterranean pit_ ….' He cringed.

"Creepy crawlies bothering you Shar?" asked Rafi with a laugh from the helm station.

Shar replied, "Given they are a meter tall? Frankly, yes."

….

Down in the geofront the Away Team was looking around the plaza in pairs. Naruto was with Shizuka, Lyakat was with Hardy and Mabui was with Ayasugi. At the center of the plaza was a monument that Lyakat was examining with his tricorder. It was covered in the script of the Tkon people. On the main plaque was written _With the Blessings of Ozari_.

"Intriguing." mumbled Lyakat to himself. "This monument lists the various Imperial Dynasties through the Ages of Bastu and Cimi. I wonder if there are other monuments with the other ages listed…."

Mabui and Ayasugi were over on the east side of the plaza looking at a building with a pair of four meter tall statues in front of it. The statues were basically humanoid wearing armor and helmets so it was impossible to tell much about the Tkon's physical appearance. Ayasugi said, "They seem to be in the guard position, barring the entryway. I wonder what the significance of this structure is."

Commander Kumo replied, "Whatever it is the architecture is quite different from the rest of the buildings here."

" _Here lay the Holy Empresses of the past and future_." read Ayasugi aloud as she scanned the script written over the sealed entrance to the building. "It appears to be a mausoleum for the Tkon Empresses."

Mabui gently touched the massive doors to the tomb and felt how solid they were. "They are about seven meters tall and two meters wide each. God only knows how thick." she said in reference to the doors. "I wonder how many tons they each weigh."

"If I could identify the alloy I might be able to venture a guess." replied Ayasugi….

Naruto and Shizuka were on the west side of the plaza looking at what could only be described as a petrified forest garden. Looking at the delicate, silver colored plants and flowers Shizuka said, "Are they even real? They look too detailed to be sculptures."

The blonde nodded as he looked at the readout on his tricorder. "They are metal but they show a cellular structure. They are either plants turned into metal through some process or a natural metal life form. At any rate they are dead and have been for countless centuries." ' _Lieutenant Hardy is a botanist. I should probably point this out to her_.'

A small swarm of bat winged creatures flew over them each showing a single enormous eye that they each stared at Shizuka and Naruto with. Naruto did his best to scan them with his tricorder as they flew by and Shizuka kept her phaser trained on them just in case. Shizuka said, "Well, at least they didn't attack us like the striders did…."

….

The group of six regrouped at the central monument and discussed what they'd seen. Ayasugi said, "I saw the flying eyeballs too. One landed near Commander Kumo and I so I got a decent scan of it. It surprises me we haven't seen more life forms or at least signs of them."

"I agree but this plaza is a wide open area." said Lyakat. "It provides no camouflage against predators. I'd imagine that there is a lot more hidden in the cracks and crevices."

Soon Wanda Hardy and Commander Lyakat were over at the 'metal garden' and Shizuka and Naruto went over to the tomb along with Commander Kumo and Ayasugi. Maya said, "Do your wall walking thing and look at the tops of the doors Naruto. There is a step up there and maybe we can see in."

The blonde didn't advertise his chakra abilities but everyone in the _Think Tank_ knew about them. Naruto charged his feet with chakra and stepped onto the door. Suddenly the doors started emitting wave patterns around Naruto's feet and script appeared on the doors. Naruto immediately hopped off the door and said, "These doors are chakra conductive." in a surprised tone. The script seemed to be engraved in the doors now but one set of symbols was glowing brightly _Otsutsuki_. Naruto quickly looked on his tricorder to translate the word and found it was a clan name.

"What do we have here?" asked Commander Lyakat who appeared out of nowhere and made everyone else jump. The Saurian got out his own tricorder and started looking at the dynastic lists and said, " _Otsutsuki_ , the first Empress of the Age of Cimi. Why is this glowing and when did this script appear?"

….

 **?**

Naruto suddenly found himself in the plaza alone with the two guardian statues. It was bright and artificially lit from above to look like the sun. Sand was on the ground everywhere. The monument was nowhere to be seen. The city was alive with crowds roaring at him, " _Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki!_ " The blonde then realized he was in gladiatorial clothes and sandals with a double edged straight sword strapped on his back. The two stone guardians suddenly moved of their own accord. One had some sort of pole axe and the other a broadsword. " _Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki!_ " chanted the crowd as they started pounding their hands and feet in a drum like fashion. Naruto drew his sword instinctively and the crowd roared in approval….

"What the hell is going on?" asked Shizuka in shock as she was surrounded by ghostly members of the crowd up in the stadium seating. She noticed that she was in a dress of odd fashion and had a metal flower in her long black hair. The Security Chief looked out and saw her lover facing the two stone guardians down and screamed his name only for it to be lost on the wind….

Lyakat was watching from some sort of balcony spot. ' _In reality I'm in my survival suit out on the plaza but my mind is completely immersed in this illusion!_ ' Looking down on the field of combat the Saurian thought aloud, "I hope you come out of this alright Naruto…."

Wanda Hardy was disoriented by the noise of the crowd but soon regained her bearings. She saw the two huge stone guardians towering over Naruto and thought, ' _Oh no!_ '

Naruto spun his sword to test the weight of it and channeled a bit of wind chakra through it which made the edges of the sword glow brightly. ' _It's chakra conductive and balanced properly. I can use this_.' The guardian with the pole axe stood back and the one with the broadsword advanced rapidly on Naruto. It kicked up a lot of sand as it thundered forward. Then the guardian made an overhead slash that hit right where Naruto was standing. Smoke and dust went everywhere and the crowd screamed and cheered when Naruto emerged from the cloud of sand running _up_ the broadsword with his own blade glowing like a star.

The giant jolted in surprise as Naruto's blade cut deep into its arm causing the guardian's forearm and the broadsword to crash the ground with a huge clatter. Naruto leapt off the guardian's stump of a left arm as the giant tried to crush him with its right hand. The blonde rolled to a halt in the sand and made two shadow clones that ran in opposite directions so the guardian couldn't tell which of the three sword wielding hybrids attacking it was the real one. The three Narutos each formed and oodama rasengan and charged the giant only for one of them to be crushed under its massive foot. The two remaining Narutos each hit a leg and obliterated the giant's ability to stand.

The legless giant grabbed its broadsword with its remaining hand and swung it only for Naruto to deflect the broadsword upwards with his own sword. The broadsword's momentum carried the giant's body on around where its head was facing Naruto. The blonde didn't hesitate for a second and beheaded the guardian in on wind chakra enhanced slash….The guardian's head rolled to a stop and it faded from the battlefield as if it was a mirage….

"Alright!" yelled Shizuka excitedly in approval. "That's one down!"

Maya Ayasugi was watching from her place in the stands and was totally enraptured with the illusion. "That's it Naruto! Show 'em how it's done!"

Commander Kumo was hoping for the safety of her subordinate. She didn't pretend to know how or why the blonde Vulcan was still alive but Mabui hoped he'd stay that way….

The other guardian 'cracked' its massive neck side to side and strode forward to face Naruto who was regaining his breath. It spun its pole axe artfully before stopped in an offensive position. The blonde Vulcan took a low defensive stance and prepared to fight. The giant went for a decapitating strike that Naruto jumped over acrobatically and avoided. The guardian followed up with a fluid foot sweep that hit Naruto as he landed and sent the blonde skipping across the plaza. Naruto was hurting badly but had reinforced his body with chakra so the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The blonde thought to himself, ' _This guardian is better than the first one on all counts. I need to be more careful_.' The giant charged as Naruto disappeared in a body flicker and appeared behind it. The hybrid didn't have time to charge his sword with wind chakra but the sword still took a chunk out of the area where the guardian's Achilles tendon would be. That had the desired effect and the giant now had a severe hobble slowing it down. Naruto body flickered out of axe range to regain his breath. The two opponents stared each other down as they sized each other up.

Naruto felt the blood flowing from his brow and the ribs on his left side screaming from the hit earlier. The guardian was testing the weight on its damaged ankle and was obviously having a difficult time. Naruto spun his sword and overcharged it with wind chakra. The guardian put its good foot forward to charge. The crowd screamed in approval as both combatants exploded into action. Naruto ran at the giant full speed and leaped at the last second hitting the guardian in the torso with his wind sword at its maximum. The giant swung low where Naruto had been. When Naruto landed in a kneeling position the guardian fell behind him with its torso blown in half horizontally. It tumbled to a halt and faded away as Naruto stood back up amidst the cheers of the crowd….

" _Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki! Otsutsuki!_ " chanted the crowd as they threw ribbon banners and flowers at Naruto….

….

 **The Plaza**

Naruto found he was back looking at the doors but his left side was in excruciating pain. He kneeled and tried to regain his breath. The others snapped back to reality and saw Naruto was injured. They laid him down and Maya Ayasugi immediately started scanning him with her tricorder. "Good thing I know life sciences. Without a medical tricorder it's hard to say but there's at least a concussion and bruised ribs."

Mabui said, "Let's get him back to the ship."

Lyakat noticed the sword that Naruto was wielding in battle against the giants was lying on the ground and picked the heavy weapon and its strap/sheath to take back to the ship. ' _There is clearly an intelligence behind this_.' thought the Saurian. ' _There is no other explanation._ '

Wanda Hardy looked up and saw the guardian statues were no longer barring the entrance to the mausoleum but were standing in a straight guard position leaving the doors clear….

….

 **Eremar II orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Naruto woke up in sick bay aboard the _Gettysburg_ with Shelly Wilson scanning his ribs. Seeing he was awake she said, "It's a good thing you heal fast Naruto. I heard a giant foot kicked you across a stadium. You get in the most interesting situations."

The blonde groaned. "Logically I was hoping the illusion I was immersed in wouldn't result in real life injuries."

Shelly laughed. "I'm glad to see your Vulcan sense of humor is intact Naruto. You are going to have to take it easy for 48 hours and then check in with me. You were badly injured. If it was anyone else it would take weeks." She looked up, "Ah, the Captain is here to see you."

Asuma asked, "Is he well enough to describe what happened Doctor Wilson?"

Shelly nodded. "He can make a report Captain."

"How are you feeling Lieutenant?" asked Asuma.

"I am in much less pain than I was thanks to Doctor Wilson." said the blonde. "Would you like my report Captain Sarutobi?"

' _Vulcans, always formal_.' thought Asuma to himself humorously. "Tell me what happened out there Naruto…."

Naruto explained the battle in detail and Asuma's eyebrows raised higher and higher on his forehead. The blonde's story correlated with the others perfectly but somehow hearing it in the first person was more intense to the Captain.

"It seems your combat skills are way beyond what I realized." said Asuma impressed. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My Father and Mother taught me combat from a very young age." replied the blonde. "My Father teaches at the Vulcan Institute for Defensive Arts."

"Obviously they taught you well." said Captain Sarutobi with a sweat drop. _'I probably would have been crushed into paste_.' he thought ruefully. "Well, rest up and concentrate on healing Lieutenant Naruto."

"Aye, sir." replied the tired blonde.

….

On the other side of the primary hull of the _Gettysburg_ the sword and one of the metal flowers were being examined along with the blade/foot of the strider. Ensign Kloene from engineering was up there examining the metallurgy of the sword as well. "This metal not only is incredibly dense, its edge is like new." The big Orion lifted the double edged sword with a bit of strain and thought aloud, "Naruto can lift this one handed? Good gods, just how strong is he?"

"He's stronger than us put together." said Lieutenant Wanda Hardy as she examined the metal flower sample. "Chief Nadeshiko and Commander Lyakat were the only ones that could haul it without help."

….

In the Staff Meeting Room Lieutenant Commander Lyakat was _very_ enthused. "The ruins have to be seen in person to truly be believed. A dedicated survey of the city could easily take decades. My initial reports to Starfleet Command are going to be extremely detailed as a result."

"Given how advanced the technology is there makes me wonder if we aren't looking at Pandora's Box." said Samui. "If the Klingons or Tholians found out about this it could spark off a war."

Commander Kumo nodded. "Lieutenant Schrodinger is correct. We witnessed an illusion so powerful that it could literally kill. We need to be careful."

Shizuka added, "We also suspect there is an active intelligence controlling the illusion. Whether it is a living being or an artificial intelligence it is _dangerous_."

"What about the obvious link between Lieutenant Naruto and the Empress Otsutsuki?" asked Lyakat. "We certainly need to explore that in detail."

"I'm concerned that the Lieutenant could be killed by that ' _connection_ ' Commander Lyakat." said Mabui. "He could have easily been slain in that gladiatorial ring."

"But he may be able to open the mausoleum now." said Lyakat. "There could be a treasure trove of knowledge there."

"Let's _at least_ wait until Naruto has recovered from his injuries." growled Shizuka.

Lyakat waved his hands in a placating manner. "Of course Chief Nadeshiko; there is plenty to explore in the meantime."

….

 **Taurus Reach,** ** _IKV Abomination_**

Captain Burot was in the ship's labs of the _Abomination_ looking at the star charts of where the Federation Cruiser went. Despite the fact he'd always been in the command branch of the fleet Burot's hobby was astronomy. Something about that pulsar system the Feds went into struck a chord with Burot and he was puzzling it out. ' _The systems surrounding that pulsar were wiped out eons ago when the star went supernova_ ….' thought the Captain. He turned to his science team and said, "Chief Lab Tech; what can you tell me about this particular pulsar?"

His Lab Chief brought up the data on the pulsar system they were heading towards and said, "The system has never been surveyed by a ship of ours sir. Our astronomers believe it went supernova between 500,000 and 600,000 years ago and the explosion was massive enough to cause a chain reaction in other nearby systems. From a purely scientific view it is large for a pulsar and has a very slow rotation period."

"Would there be a particular reason to go this far out of the way to explore the system?" asked Burot.

The lab chief stroked his chin and said, "Barring an outside reason like a missing ship or historical significance it is possible that some rare and valuable heavy elements were formed during the supernova. If there are any planets remaining in the system they would definitely be worth examining for mining purposes. The Federation might be surveying for a mining project."

"If that's the case then the Federation has gone to a lot of trouble even for valuable ores. A survey freighter would do the job." thought Burot aloud. ' _I just don't buy it_.' Then he said, "Captain to Bridge, respond."

" _Commander Konmel here Captain_." answered his first officer.

"How many hours till we enter the pulsar system the Federation cruiser is exploring?" asked Burot.

" _It is forty two hours until the Flatheads meet their destiny sir!_ " answered the energetic Konmel.

Burot sweat dropped and thought to himself, "…. _Meet their destiny? Give me a break_ ….'

….

 **Eremar II orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

In sick bay T'Lyra was visiting her injured mate between shifts. Naruto was awake and they were speaking telepathically through crossed fingers. He had related what exactly happened and T'Lyra wanted to shake her head. ' _How do you get into these situations Naruto?_ ' she asked. ' _The odds of your chakra interacting with some ancient, long dead civilization are incalculable. You should contact your Grandmother Kaguya about this_.'

' _We are in total agreement about that T'Lyra_.' said the blonde. ' _She is the only link we have in this mystery. Unfortunately my body needs to heal and contacting her is taxing mentally. It will have to wait until I am well_.'

' _That is logical_.' agreed the beautiful brunette. ' _Focus on healing yourself. It pains me to see you hurting this way. Shizuka is worried about you as well_.'

Naruto mentally smiled. ' _I will recover before the two of you know it. It pleases me that you both care so much_.'

' _I have to get back to work my love_.' said T'Lyra. ' _I will come back after I finish my shift so rest until then_.'

Naruto nodded and drifted off to sleep….

….Only to be awakened by his other mate after she got out of the staff meeting. Shizuka blushed slightly and said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Naruto replied, "It is alright; I am glad you are here." He reached over and crossed fingers with her. ' _There, now we can converse freely_.' Her green eyes widened and she went to speak something but Naruto said mentally, ' _Just think what you want to say Shizuka. I will hear you like you are hearing me_.'

Shizuka smiled and thought, ' _You amaze me Naruto. I never imagined we could talk like this_.'

' _T'Lyra and I will teach you Shizuka_.' said Naruto. ' _It is not difficult, especially for mates like you and I_.'

The Security Chief smiled warmly and said, ' _I was terrified when you were fighting those stone guardians but when you won I was so proud of you_.'

Naruto said, ' _They were a difficult challenge. I'm glad you were watching over me_.'

The two lovers talked for some time before Shizuka had to return to work as well and the blonde drifted back into a deep sleep….

….

 _DREAM…._

 _"_ _ **Heir of Otsutsuki, what is it you seek here?**_ _" thundered a female voice._

 _Naruto found he was in long white robes that had an emblem that was a circle with an eight pointed star on it. Four points were black and four were white.*② He also noted the symbol was tattooed on the back of his right hand. The blonde saw he was in what looked like some sort of assembly hall. He asked, "Where am I?"_

 _"_ _ **You are in the Hall of Elders where the dead preside as judges**_ _." said the same voice. "_ _ **We are curious why you came to Ozari-thul after all this time**_ _."_

 _The blonde simply said, "I come seeking knowledge. I was ignorant of my relation to Empress Otsutsuki."_

 _There was a pregnant pause and then the voice said, "_ _ **If you were unaware then you coming here by chance….**_ _"_

 _Naruto said, "The odds are immeasurable."_

 _"_ _ **Indeed**_ _." said the voice. "_ _ **Still, you passed the test of Guardians and showed a great mastery of chakra for one so young. You have earned the right to enter the Tomb of the Holy Empresses. Speak only to your Holy Ancestress for she is wise. Let the others rest**_ _."_

 _"I shall do as you have instructed." said Naruto with a bow._

 _"_ _ **Go now Heir of Otsutsuki; forge your destiny among the stars**_ _."_

 _DREAM END_ ….

….

Naruto awoke with a jolt. He noticed a slight discomfort on the back of his right hand and instinctively channeled chakra through it. The Otsutsuki Clan emblem glowed there for all to see. When he stopped channeling chakra it vanished and Naruto's hand returned to normal.

' _What have I gotten myself into?_ ' wondered the blonde. _'I need to contact my Grandmother Kaguya before I enter that tomb….if I enter it at all_ ….'

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, or jesus bugs.

*② Otsutsuki Clan Emblem: See Narutopedia under Otsutsuki Clan to view this.

Next chapter the Klingons will arrive in the Eremar system unless there is some unforeseen circumstance. Naruto is in a bit of a fix and is wondering what the connection is between himself and the Empress Otsutsuki. What will come of that? See you next time. Blue out. 6/1/18


	40. Chapter 40

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, my vacation is over so the updates will slow down again. I'm in the process of updating several stories but they will take time. Here is chapter 40. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 _DREAM…._

 _"_ _ **Heir of Otsutsuki, what is it you seek here?**_ _" thundered a female voice._

 _Naruto found he was in long white robes that had an emblem that was a circle with an eight pointed star on it. Four points were black and four were white.*② He also noted the symbol was tattooed on the back of his right hand. The blonde saw he was in what looked like some sort of assembly hall. He asked, "Where am I?"_

 _"_ _ **You are in the Hall of Elders where the dead preside as judges**_ _." said the same voice. "_ _ **We are curious why you came to Ozari-thul after all this time**_ _."_

 _The blonde simply said, "I come seeking knowledge. I was ignorant of my relation to Empress Otsutsuki."_

 _There was a pregnant pause and then the voice said, "_ _ **If you were unaware then you coming here by chance….**_ _"_

 _Naruto said, "The odds are immeasurable."_

 _"_ _ **Indeed**_ _." said the voice. "_ _ **Still, you passed the test of Guardians and showed a great mastery of chakra for one so young. You have earned the right to enter the Tomb of the Holy Empresses. Speak only to your Holy Ancestress for she is wise. Let the others rest**_ _."_

 _"I shall do as you have instructed." said Naruto with a bow._

 _"_ _ **Go now Heir of Otsutsuki; forge your destiny among the stars**_ _."_

 _DREAM END_ ….

….

 _Naruto awoke with a jolt. He noticed a slight discomfort on the back of his right hand and instinctively channeled chakra through it. The Otsutsuki Clan emblem glowed there for all to see. When he stopped channeling chakra it vanished and Naruto's hand returned to normal._

 _'_ _What have I gotten myself into?_ _' wondered the blonde. '_ _I need to contact my Grandmother Kaguya before I enter that tomb….if I enter it at all…._ _'_

….

Chapter 40

 **Stardate 2274.222, Eremar System,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.222: Commander Mabui Kumo reporting. Our sensors have picked up a cruiser sized vessel coming towards the Eremar System at warp factor two. As the Captain and two Away Teams are out of transporter range for the time being and the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _is going to intercept the unidentified cruiser by moving to orbit the gas giant Eremar III. Hopefully this will draw the cruiser away from investigating Eremar II. The last thing we want is the Klingons or Tholians to discover the Tkon ruins there. As the situation is delicate we hope to diffuse the situation without violence. Time will tell if the unidentified cruiser will cooperate…._

Naruto M'Fau walked onto the bridge of the _Gettysburg_. Mabui turned to him and said, "Welcome back Lieutenant Naruto; it is good to see you have recovered."

The blonde hybrid replied, "Thank you Commander." He went over to the science station and relieved the Ensign on duty there. Focusing on the readings Naruto examined the approaching vessel and said, "It's a Klingon D-type hull, type unknown."

"How can you tell at this range?" asked Rafi incredulously from the helm position. "We've been trying to identify it for an hour."

Naruto said, "The warp field's pattern correlates with Klingon types. Tholian types have a totally different layout."

' _Of course Naruto would know the warp field patterns_.' thought Samui. She wanted to face palm. ' _We've been trying to identify the ship by its mass._ ' "Perhaps we can talk with the Klingons. Tholians generally don't negotiate with anyone."

"Agreed Lieutenant Schrodinger." said Mabui. "Hopefully the Klingons won't be of a hostile disposition."

 **….**

 ** _IKV Abomination_**

"We are now entering the system." said the helmsman. "The Federation Ship is in orbit of the gas giant. Readings aren't clear on the exact type but it is a heavy cruiser class hull."

Konmel was in the Captain's chair and said, "Red alert! Captain Burot to the bridge."

The red alert klaxon was blaring when Captain Burot burst onto the bridge. He looked at the sensor tech's station and growled, "Turn off that damned noise! Go to condition yellow. The Federation vessel isn't even visible from here. Sensor Tech, where are they and what is our ETA to the gas giant?"

"The Federation heavy cruiser just went into the shadow of the gas giant's rings sir." replied the sensor technician. "Our estimated time to reach the gas giant is one hour at our current speed of warp factor two."

"Shall we increase speed sir?" asked Commander Konmel.

"All that would do is wear our shields down in this dust field you idiot." scolded Burot. "Steady as she goes helm."

The helmsman acknowledged his orders and Konmel thought aloud, "What about the element of surprise?" Burot didn't deem it necessary to answer his executive officer.

"We are being hailed by the Federation ship Captain." said the communications tech.

Burot said sarcastically, "There is your element of surprise Konmel." He turned to his communications tech and said, "Put the Federation hail on screen."

Mabui's attractive face appeared on screen and she said, " _This is Commander Mabui Kumo of the Federation Command Cruiser_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _. Identify yourself Klingon vessel_."

Captain Burot replied, "This is Captain Burot of the Imperial Klingon Vessel _Abomination_. We have come to see why you have entered contested space."

Commander Kumo looked slightly irritated and said, " _This space is not claimed by anyone and is not contested. It is not your place to police us either….However in the interest of keeping the peace we are out here examining the methane breathing life forms in this system. They were found years ago when both of our peoples were occupying Taurus Reach. There was never a chance to document them at the time_."

The Klingon Captain almost gasped and asked, "Are we talking about intelligent life here?" ' _If it's another race like the Hydrans then high command needs to be alerted_.'

Mabui shook her head. " _Negative. They are primitive insectoid types. Our hopes to find intelligent life in this system have been dashed so we are surveying what actually_ _is_ _here_."

Konmel popped up on the screen and asked, "What about the other two planets in the system?"

The Federation Commander gave Konmel a long, withering stare as if to say to Konmel, ' _Are you a_ _ **complete**_ _idiot?_ ' Mabui cleared her throat and said, " _The two inner planet's crusts were completely blown away in the supernova; what do_ _you_ _think the odds of life being there are?_ "

Burot nudged his executive officer off screen with his foot (also off screen) and said, "Very well Commander Kumo, the Klingon Empire has better things to do than monitor your bug collecting so carry on. _Abomination_ out."

….

 ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

As the _IKV Abomination_ turned away back in the direction it came from; Mabui ended the transmission and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Very nicely done Commander." complimented Samui. "They appear to have bought your bluff perfectly."

Mabui gave a small smile and said, "Thank you Lieutenant but it was mainly the truth with a little bit of falsehood mixed in."

"I'm glad we avoided conflict regardless." said M'rella. "I'm sure Captain Sarutobi will be pleased."

"We could have taken them." said Rafi with a grin. "It was just a D6 after all; right Naruto?"

Naruto replied, "The _IKV Abomination_ is the 26th D6 cruiser built and has been around for decades according to our intelligence. It is safe to say the odds of victory were in our favor but not guaranteed. Avoiding combat and a loss of life was a victory in and of itself."

….

 **Eremar II, geofront**

Captain Asuma Sarutobi was beginning to wonder where his ship the _Gettysburg_ had gotten off to. It had been three hours since their last contact. The absolute need for radio silence to the ship was starting to wear on him. Unlike the science teams who were quite content to work away in the darkness of the Tkon geofront all day long he was very concerned about what was going on up in the heavens above Eremar II. ' _I should have let Mabui stay in charge of the Away Teams but I just_ _had_ _to see this place. Well Sarutobi, you've been in worse spots_.'

Commander Lyakat came over and said, "Captain, we estimated at least eight hours until the ship returns and have enough supplies to last a week down here easily. Try to relax sir."

Asuma turned to the Saurian scientist and said, "Am I being that obvious?"

"You've had your head craned up staring at the ceiling for fifteen minutes straight sir." said Lyakat. "Your neck is going to cramp at this rate."

"I guess I should give my neck a rest then Lyakat." said Asuma with a chuckle. "When I was a first officer I always was planet side and figured Captain Terumi could handle whatever was thrown at her. Now that I'm the ship's Captain I worry that the ship needs me in the command chair whether it's necessary or not. I guess I need to have more faith in my subordinates."

"Well, if Commander Kumo is anything she's a competent officer." said Lyakat as he patted the Captain's shoulder. "The _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ is in good hands Captain."

Asuma smiled and said, "You would make a good counselor Commander Lyakat. Show me what your teams have come up with while I've been staring into space."

Lyakat chuckled. "It's mainly what Ensign Rafi calls _creepy crawlies_ but I'll be happy to show you…."

….

 ** _IKV Abomination_**

An hour later Commander Konmel was absolutely beside himself. "Commodore Tsume told us to _deal_ with the Federation ship Captain! _Why did we not destroy them?!_ "

Burot said, "Commodore Tsume's orders; my call. There was no need to attack or even fight them. It would have served no purpose for the Empire. Besides; if you didn't notice that was a _Command Cruiser_ Konmel. We were seriously outgunned." The two officers had a staring contest and Konmel finally averted his eyes in shame. The Captain nodded and said, "I'm going to my quarters to present my report to Commodore Tsume." As Burot strode towards his quarters he felt a disruptor bolt hit him in the back. His last thoughts were, ' _Konmel, you coward!'_ before he disintegrated _._

Commander Konmel holstered his pistol knowing he never could have taken Burot in a fair fight. He was hyperventilating and sweating heavily. Konmel had just committed an act of cowardice by shooting his commander in the back. But, he now had command of the _Abomination_ and was determined to destroy the Federation cruiser to restore his honor!

….

Konmel strutted onto the bridge and said, "As of Stardate 2274.222, I am assuming Command of the Imperial Klingon Vessel _Abomination_. With the death of our Captain I see no other choice than to correct his grievous error and destroy the Federation heavy cruiser _Gettysburg_. Only when the enemy is destroyed will the Empire and Commodore Tsume's wills be carried out…."

….

 ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

It had been an hour since the _Abomination_ had departed and Naruto was carefully observing the Klingon ship on one of the sensor channels as they quietly orbited Eremar III. Mabui wanted to wait until the Klingons were well out of sensor range before returning to Eremar II's orbit. The blonde Vulcan turned to Mabui and said, "Commander Kumo, the _Abomination_ is headed back towards us at warp factor five. Their estimated time to our position is 8 minutes."

Mabui commanded, "Condition red! Prepare for ship to ship combat."

"We have an incoming transmission Commander." reported M'rella. "Commander Konmel of the _Abomination_ is demanding our surrender!"

Commander Kumo frowned and said, "Let them eat static. Begin offensive jamming. If they want a fight the _Gettysburg_ will give them one. Helm bring us around 120 degrees to starboard."

"120 degrees to starboard; acknowledged." replied Rafi as she brought the Federation cruiser around smoothly.

Looking at the tactical readout Mabui said, "Lieutenant Nadeshiko, weapons status."

"The phasers are all charged and the photons are ready with standard loads." answered Shizuka. "I can have the photons at full overloads in two minutes."

"Begin overload process Shizuka." ordered the Commander.

"They are firing disruptors." said Naruto as the _Gettysburg_ shook. "Two of the four disruptors hit us. The shield reinforcement absorbed it Commander."

The Klingon cruiser continued to bombard at range with negligible results until they got close and changed tactics.

"The _Abomination_ is side slipping to our port Commander." said Samui.

Mabui said Rafi, "Helm, bring us around to port to hit them broadside."

As the _Gettysburg_ turned hard to port; the _Abomination_ opened fire at point blank range. "Two disruptors and five phaser twos incoming!" called Naruto as the forward and forward port shields were hit.

The _Gettysburg_ shook heavily and Naruto reported, "Number one shield is down 53%; number six shield is down 60%. No internal damage."

Mabui quickly ordered, "Shizuka, fire at will!"

The crew watched as four overloaded photons and ten phaser ones from the _Gettysburg_ punished the entire port side of the _Abomination_. The Klingon cruiser was careening in a flat spin and was clearly out of control. The crew cheered. Mabui said "Naruto, give me a damage assessment on the _Abomination_."

Naruto nodded. "The _Abomination_ is missing its number five and six shields entirely. The ship is crippled and barely warp capable. Her fire control is offline….They are completely at our mercy Commander."

"Open hailing frequencies." ordered Mabui.

M'rella replied, "Hailing frequencies are open Commander."

"This is Commander Kumo of the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_." said Mabui. " _Abomination_ , you are hereby ordered to surrender and prepare to be boarded."

" _This is Commander Konmel of the_ _Abomination_." came the crackling audio reply. " _We will never surrender to the Federation or_ _anyone_ _!"_

Rafi said, "If they don't bring that ship under control they are going to hit the planet's rings."

Mabui looked vexed and said, "Prepare a tractor. If the _Abomination_ levels out we can pull them out."

"Attempting a tractor lock." said Shizuka. "The _Abomination_ is tumbling too violently to lock on to her."

"Try again." ordered Commander Kumo.

Shizuka said, "Tractor is-"

"Too late." said Samui as the viewscreen flashed. "The _Abomination_ just hit the rings…."

….

 **Eremar System,** ** _U.S.S Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, supplemental: Commander Mabui Kumo reporting. The Imperial Klingon Vessel_ _Abomination_ _has been destroyed in combat with the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _. We suffered moderate to heavy shield damage but the_ _Gettysburg_ _herself is undamaged and the shields will be fully repaired within an estimated four hours. After an unsuccessful search for survivors; we have returned to Eremar II to continue our original mission of exploring the Tkon ruins…._

The _Gettysburg_ arrived in Eremar II orbit an hour after the _Abomination_ was destroyed. Mabui said the M'rella, "Ensign M'rella, open hailing frequencies and contact Captain Sarutobi."

Asuma's relieved voice came in over the communication channel, " _It's good to hear from you_ _Gettysburg_ _. Commander Kumo, what is the ship's status?_ "

"We have moderate to heavy shield damage Captain." answered Mabui. We engaged and destroyed the Klingon heavy cruiser _Abomination_ after negotiations failed. I will have a full report for you when you return to the ship."

" _Were there any survivors from the Klingon ship?_ " asked Captain Sarutobi.

Mabui answered, "Negative sir. We searched and found nothing."

" _More's the pity_ …." replied Asuma.

….

Lieutenant Commander Lyakat was soon hustling samples up to the _Gettysburg_ via shuttlecraft and Captain Sarutobi returned to the ship. He grinned at Mabui and said, "I guess you had quite an adventure while I was planet side Commander."

Mabui said in a flat tone, "It was an adventure I could have done without sir."

Sarutobi laughed and said, "I wasn't expecting the Klingons to crash the party."

….

Naruto was down in the ship's labs unloading and organizing samples when Commander Lyakat came over and asked, "How are you feeling Lieutenant Naruto? I'm surprised to see you up and back on duty so quickly."

"I am capable of being on duty but I am still not fully healed." said Naruto.

The Saurian nodded. "Well, I want you at 100% before we enter that tomb in case there are other….obstacles."

"We are in complete agreement Commander." replied the blonde Vulcan.

….

 **Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters**

After a long hard day of work; Naruto came to the conclusion that he really wasn't in top shape and needed to rest. Once he got comfortable the blonde reached out with his thoughts to his Grandmother Kaguya….

….

 _DREAM…._

 _…._

 _Naruto found himself sitting on the stone steps to his Grandmother Kaguya's tower where he usually appeared. He saw Kaguya in her white robes descend the stairs to greet him. "My grandson; we have not talked in awhile. It is good to see you."_

 _"Greetings Grandmother; it is good to see you as well. I have come seeking your advice." said Naruto. Seeing Kaguya nod he asked, "What do you know about the Tkon Empire and the Otsutsuki clan's connections to it?"_

 _Kaguya looked surprised. "You've found something about the Tkon Empire?"_

 _Naruto nodded. "We've discovered the remains of the Tkon Capitol city Ozari-Thul. I touched a door and my chakra interacted with it. There was a trial I was tested in and having passed it I was given permission to enter the Royal Tomb to talk to Empress Otsutsuki. I was wondering how closely related we are to her as they call me the 'Heir of Otsutsuki' rather than a simple descendant."_

 _Kaguya said, "This is certainly a surprise. As I was the head of the Otsutsuki clan I suppose it would make sense for you to carry the title of heir."_

 _"You 'were' the head of the Otsutsuki clan Grandmother?" asked the blonde._

 _The Rabbit Goddess replied, "I was until I was sealed away by my sons for 1,000 years. I can only assume someone else in the clan took up the mantle. Still, if you are called the Heir by the Tkon…."_

 _"How closely are we related to Empress Ostutuski?" asked Naruto inquisitively._

 _Shrugging, Kaguya said, "I always thought us being related to the Tkon was just family lore. To be truthful I'm rather bedazzled that it is true. I am sure that we are thousands and thousands of generations removed from Empress Ostutsuki. I will be very interested in what you find out Naruto." Then she smiled, "Now tell me about this trial you went through…."_

 _…._

 _DREAM END_ ….

….

Naruto woke in the middle of the night and found his mate T'Lyra was fast asleep snuggled into his right side as usual. He gently wrapped his arms around her and fell back sleep in her warmth….

….

 **Stardate 2274.224, Eremar II, geofront**

Two days later a fully healed Naruto was standing at the door to the Tkon Imperial Tomb. He paced his hands on the doors and once again the name Otsutsuki glowed in the script of the Tkon Empire. Naruto gave the doors a minimal push and they swung open in total silence as if they weighed nothing. To everyone's surprise the tomb was dimly lit with torches of green flame over every elevated grave. One out of the lot glowed extremely brightly and Naruto assumed that was his destination.

The blonde stepped forward and noticed a chakra barrier that he passed through harmlessly with a rippling effect. Looking back he said to Commander Lyakat and the others, "I do not believe it is safe for non chakra users to touch this barrier. Please stay back."

"Make sure your recorder is active Naruto." said Lyakat. "Nothing is too insignificant in there."

Naruto nodded. "I have it on and active Commander." The blonde went into the tomb noticing a tiny draw on his chakra reserves from the floor tiles. Reaching out with his senses he realized it was his own chakra that was powering the chakra barrier at the entrance and the many torches in the room. He marveled at the efficiency the tiny amount of chakra he was using could power so much. ' _I wonder if the guardians and the illusion of the stadium were powered by my chakra as well_.' he thought. ' _I wasn't paying attention at the time given I was in mortal combat_.'

As Naruto approached the grave of Empress Otsutuski he saw an image of a blue haired woman that had porcelain skin who was absolutely radiant to his eyes. She smiled at him and said, "Come closer to me my heir so I may gaze upon your face." Her azure pools were identical to his and she delicately cupped his cheeks with her hands. "Beautiful child, you inherited my eyes. What is it you seek here?"

"I only seek knowledge Empress." said Naruto. "I hope you are willing to teach me sage mode."

Suddenly she grabbed Naruto's face in an unbreakable grip and said, " _What makes you think you are worthy of sage mode?!_ I will take your chakra and suck the very marrow from your very bones!" Here beautiful body turned into a centipede like form from her torso down and wrapped around the blonde in an attempt to crush him. Her eyes lit up with chakra as she rapidly drew it out of Naruto. "You are _mine_ boy!"

The rest of the landing party was shocked and horrified at what they were seeing at a distance. Shizuka tried to breach the chakra shield with a phaser but found it was impenetrable. She cried out to him but Naruto couldn't hear her are the cacophony the centipede woman was making.

Naruto thought, ' _I refuse to die at the hands of this spirit_.' He ignited his fire and wind chakra at their maximum and choked out, "You want chakra? I'll give it to you." He glowed red as a maelstrom of fire chakra flooded from his body and started burning the creature calling herself Empress. She screamed in agony as the flesh burned off of her bones leaving a skull like face with eyes like fiery coals. Naruto's voice took a dark edge of a shinobi and he hissed, "Die now, choking on your screams."

The creature's body finally stopped screaming as it disintegrated into ash….

When the smoke cleared and the wind died down Naruto was bordering on chakra exhaustion and stumbled back. He breathed heavily and his entire body hurt. He heard a melodic face say, "Bravo my child. You are indeed my heir to have defeated my tomb guardian." The woman had white hair and white eyes like Kaguya. She smiled and said, "I am the true Empress Otsutsuki. You are exhausted my child; let me restore you." Her hands glowed softly with green healing chakra. "I will heal your body and then we can talk about your many questions."

Naruto's eyes blazed with chakra and he stood up through sheer willpower alone. The blonde said, "No. No more. I am leaving this place."

Otsutsuki looked shocked and said, "But you are my heir! I have so much to teach you. I could make you a _GOD_ compared to the others out there!

"I don't need godhood and I don't need you." said Naruto. "Sleep forever Otsutsuki for I will not return." Naruto stumbled out of tomb, through the chakra barrier and willed the doors behind him to close. They heard Otsutsuki's wails of anguish for Naruto to come back to her as the doors slammed closed forever….

Lieutrnant Commander Lyakat was gaping like a fish and gasped out, "The knowledge she has could…!"

"It could destroy us." wheezed out Naruto in a tone of finality. "I am wounded and need to go back to the ship…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.228, Eremar II orbit,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Personal Log of Captain Asuma Sarutobi, Stardate 2274.228: Lieutenant Commander Lyakat and the science staff have concluded that the entire city of Ozari-thul is powered by chakra energy and our research can only progress so far without Lieutenant Naruto's help. Naruto is currently in a Vulcan healing trance to restore his body with the help of our medical staff. Doctor Kato says it's a miracle he was able to walk away from the extreme stresses on his body. On a personal level I'm a bit dismayed with the situation. As an explorer I feel cheated that we cannot do more but as a Starfleet Captain I feel Lieutenant Naruto may have saved us from opening Pandora's box_ ….

….

Down on the surface Commander Lyakat was sealing up the last of the equipment on their _initial_ survey of Ozari-thul. He took one last walk around the wonders of the plaza and stopped at the Tomb of the Empresses. He was about to go back to the shuttle when he noticed something _glowing_ at the base of the door. The Saurian went over and found five emerald colored, paper thin crystals that were about 15cm tall, 7cm wide and chevron shaped. On them in Tkon script was the name _Naruto_. Lyakat didn't know what they were but he packed them away as if they were priceless gems. ' _Perhaps Lieutenant Naruto will be willing to examine these when he awakes_.' thought the Saurian.

….

Naruto awoke from his healing trance in Sick Bay. The last of the chakra burns on his body were healed and his chakra reserves were fully restored. When he awoke Doctor Shizune Kato was running a medical scan on him. The black haired woman smiled warmly and said, "Good morning to you Lieutenant Naruto. I'm glad to see you are awake. When you said you'd wake up in four days I didn't expect it to be on the hour."

"We Vulcans are trained from a young age to internal keep time." said Naruto. "What is my condition Doctor?"

"You are ridiculously healthy given the condition four days ago." said Shizune. "As a matter of fact your bioelectric energy reserves have skyrocketed."

Naruto frowned slightly before holding out his hand and making a simple rasengen. Shizune looked dazzled at the glowing sphere before Naruto closed his hand and cancelled the jutsu. ' _I hardly felt the pull on my chakra from that jutsu_.' thought the blonde. ' _Just how much stronger have I become and why?_ '

Doctor Kato asked, "What was that Naruto? It was beautiful to look at."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "It was a rasengan Doctor. It's a deadly offensive jutsu with a high chakra cost. I made it to test my chakra reserves and you are correct. My body is overflowing with chakra for some reason. I have no explanation for it."

"Next time warn me then." said Shizune with a pale face.

"Of course Doctor." replied the blonde with a tiny smile.

….

An hour later Naruto had passed a full physical and was cleared to return to duty. He went to his quarters and found T'Lyra having lunch with her friend Brea Mathuin. Naruto was shocked at how fast T'Lyra moved to embrace him. He wrapped his arms around her and they kissed passionately. Brea was kind of dumbfounded as the most she'd ever seen the Vulcan pair do was a gentle hug or crossing fingers. When the young couple separated T'Lyra said, "I've missed you. Welcome home."

Naruto gave her a tiny smile and said, "It's good to be home."

Hours later Naruto was relaxing as he filled out his reports on what he'd seen when he'd interacted with Empress Otsutsuki and her Tomb Guardian. ' _Even thinking about it makes me tired_.' thought the blonde. That was when he heard his door chime and Naruto asked, "Who is it?"

"It's Lieutenant Commander Lyakat; may I enter?" asked the Saurian scientist.

The hybrid said, "Unlock. Please enter Commander Lyakat." The Saurian came in and Naruto motioned for him to sit. "Welcome Doctor Lyakat, tea?"

Lyakat smiled and said, "Yes, thank you." _'I was afraid Naruto would be furious with me but then again he_ _is_ _a Vulcan_.' "I wanted to see how you are doing Naruto. I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were injured again. Frankly I thought Lieutenant Nadeshiko was going to murder me."

Naruto poured the tea and gave Lyakat a cup before pouring his own. "Shizuka is rather fierce when it comes to protecting others she cares for."

The Saurian cringed and said, "So I noticed. There are some crystals I found outside the tomb doors with your name on them." Seeing Naruto's eyebrow raise in its usual manner Lyakat qualified his statement by saying, "I mean that _literally_ Doctor Naruto. I brought one with me. The other four are in the ship's labs being examined." He pulled a chevron shaped crystal that had _Naruto_ engraved on it in Tkon script. After running the universal translator over it the blonde saw that it indeed had his name on it.

"It's a data memory crystal." said Naruto. "You activate it by running your finger across the top and putting a bit of chakra in." The blonde mentally growled. ' _It seems that I've picked up knowledge from Empress Otsutsuki whether I blocked it out or not_.' Seeing Lyakat's stunned look Naruto said, "Apparently there was an information exchange when that thing tried to kill me."

Doctor Lyakat said, "Ah, I see. Do you think it's safe to activate?"

Naruto nodded. "They are designed for memory storage like a book or library. It should be harmless but I'd rather open it in the labs than here in my quarters."

….

The two Doctors went down to the lab where Naruto's friend Ensign Maya Ayasugi greeted them warmly. "I'm glad to see you are back Naruto." She then added, "You seriously need to stop trying to get killed."

Lyakat sweat dropped and said, "Lieutenant Naruto has assured me these crystals are harmless in nature. They are data crystals meant to be read like books."

Ayasugi looked dubiously at the emerald crystal chevrons and said, "Be careful Naruto."

The blonde nodded and ran his finger across the top of the crystal and a massive map of the Tkon Empire appeared. Everyone gasped knowing exactly what this was. It was all in Tkon script but there was no reason it couldn't be translated. "This is fantastic." said Lyakat as the others murmured in agreement. The sciences department knew they had their work cut out but they were eager to start.

"Let's look at the next one." said Naruto. Seeing everyone agreed he deactivated the map and activated the next one. The words _VEIL/UNVEIL?_ came up leaving the group befuddled. Naruto touched his finger on the crystal and ran his finger vertically downwards. _Ozari-thul_ and several other planet names appeared. They were able to pick out a few such as _Wsor_ and _Rzom_ that were major colonies. Naruto tapped the name _Ozari-Thul_ and then _Veil_. Then the red alert klaxon started going off and they heard, "Battle stations, Captain to the bridge!"

….

When Lyakat and Naruto got to the bridge the first thing they heard was Rafi's irritated voice saying, "The whole damn planet just disappeared!"

Lyakat chuckled and said, "Naruto; can you _unveil_ Ozari-thul?" The planet reappeared and everyone on the bridge gasped but Naruto and Lyakat. The Saurian said, "Magnificent! A perfect way to protect a planet is to make it invisible. I am absolutely awed at this technology!"

Asuma growled and said, "Lieutenant Commander Lyakat, would you mind _explaining_ what the hell is going on?!"

The Saurian regained his composure and said, "Forgive me Captain Sarutobi; I was just so overwhelmed. Apparently the Tkon Empire created something like a planet sized cloaking device for their various worlds. It seems that we inadvertently discovered how to activate and deactivate it."

"Cancel the red alert." said the exasperated Mabui. "Go to condition blue. It was just our science team at work."

….

The bridge crew was in the Staff Meeting Room within the hour. Mabui said, "So in essence we can hide this entire planet at will using the Tkon veiling technology?"

"That's exactly right!" exclaimed the excited Lyakat. "In other words we can veil Ozari-thul and safely leave the system without worry of the Klingons or Tholians finding this amazing technology. When we return we can simply unveil the planet for further exploration."

"That is incredible." said Shizune. "I wonder what kind of medical technology they had."

Samui looked over at Naruto and said, "So we should veil this world and leave before other Klingon or possibly Tholian vessels arrive."

Naruto nodded and said, "Keeping this technology out of the reach of our potentially hostile neighbors is paramount. If they discovered it the results could be a new war over Tkon technology."

Captain Sarutobi said, "I agree with Lieutenants Schrodinger and Naruto. This technology is both too valuable and too dangerous to explore in detail at this point. We have a good, solid initial survey of Ozari-thul so let's head back to the safety of our own borders once we veil that planet."

"There is so much more to learn but….I'm forced to agree." said Commander Lyakat. "There is no need to expose ourselves to further danger." he added. (Shizuka's burning glare at Lyakat over Naruto's injuries had nothing to do with the Saurian's decision at all….nope. Not one bit….)

….

 **Stardate 2274.230, Eremar System,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.230: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. The Tkon Capitol Planet Ozari-thul is_ _veiled_ _much to my amazement. It is as if the planet simply ceased to exist. We are headed out of the Eremar System and out of the Taurus Reach back to the safety of the Federation border. Our estimated time of arrival is four days. I am proud to say that the_ _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ _and her crew have performed well under some very unusual and stressful situations. On a personal note I have to say that chakra technology is almost beyond comprehension. While I am in favor of studying it; letting cooler heads prevail like Lieutenant Naruto and Lieutenant Samui Schrodinger is in our best interests….The Tkon were so advanced it makes us look like children…._

….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, the first part of the Tkon Arc is complete. There will be more down the line. Next chapter we'll return to Federation Space. See you next time. Blue out. 6/6/18


	41. Chapter 41

**_Naruto: Infinity Divide_**

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Not much to add here. I'm going to be altering the story pacing a bit to speed things up and see if it improves the story. Here is chapter 41. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

 **Stardate 2274.230, Eremar System,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

 _Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.230: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. The Tkon Capitol Planet Ozari-thul is_ _ **veiled**_ _much to my amazement. It is as if the planet simply ceased to exist. We are headed out of the Eremar System and out of the Taurus Reach back to the safety of the Federation border. Our estimated time of arrival is four days. I am proud to say that the_ _ **U.S.S. Gettysburg**_ _and her crew have performed well under some very unusual and stressful situations. On a personal note I have to say that chakra technology is almost beyond comprehension. While I am in favor of studying it; letting cooler heads prevail like Lieutenant Naruto and Lieutenant Samui Schrodinger is in our best interests….The Tkon were so advanced it makes us look like children…. _

….

Chapter 41

 **Stardate 2274.232, Taurus Reach,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Naruto was in his mate Shizuka's quarters. The black haired beauty had been waiting all day for this. She was wearing cutoff denim shorts and a very snug white t-shirt that left her midriff exposed. Naruto gently pressed her against the wall and slowly started kissing his raven tressed mate passionately in the low light. He had his hands up inside her t-shirt and was massaging her firm breasts as she smiled and mewled into his mouth. He'd spent the last night pleasing his mate T'Lyra and tonight he was determined to make Shizuka smile all night long. The black haired beauty raised her arms and Naruto slipped her t-shirt off before he started worshipping her luscious mounds with his tongue and mouth.

She gasped and eased her head back as Naruto unbuttoned her shorts tantalizingly slow. He moved his tongue downwards over her flat stomach and licked and kissed her navel as he lowered her denim shorts and found Shizuka wasn't wearing any panties. She was already wet as could be when Naruto started lapping at her nether regions making her moan as she ran her fingers through his wild blonde hair. He added two fingers stroking in time with his tongue and his beautiful mate started panting in time with every stroke. Shizuka smiled and saw stars as she experienced her first orgasm of the night. She let out a long moan of satisfaction as her mate lapped up her juices.

It didn't take long for Shizuka to lure Naruto over to her bed. He was harder than a coal train and standing at full mast when she laid him down and took his length into her mouth. He groaned as she kissed his member with her lips. She whispered, "So good…." as she worked him with her hands and mouth. Shizuka added to the friction with her rough tongue and was going on like it would never end. Naruto could take no more after ten minutes of her ministrations and exploded in her hot mouth. Shizuka smiled as she licked up his essence and whispered, "That's my boy…."

Naruto's eyes were glowing wildly with chakra and Shizuka saw him smile as she climbed on top and mounted him for the first time that night. She felt herself stretch to take him in and smiled down at her blonde mate as he gently gripped her hips so they could slowly take each other again and again. Naruto whispered, "That's it my love, ride me." He had a magnificent view of Shizuka's beautiful body as she bounced up and down on him. The blonde was thrusting upwards as she came down so he was buried in her wanting body to the hilt. Naruto started panting in time with Shizuka as she went faster and faster.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, aaaaaah!" she finally cried out as they climaxed as one. The black haired beauty fell forward and kissed her blonde mate passionately as the pair rode out their orgasm together. When Shizuka came up for air she said, "I love you Naruto."

Naruto kissed her again and said, "I love you too Shizuka." He rolled over on top of her and said, "Let me make you smile…."

….Hours later the two lovers were settled in bed and Shizuka was lying on top of Naruto using his shoulder as her pillow. "You're the only man that has ever worn me out this way Naruto….you do it every time."

Naruto kissed her forehead and said, "….And you are beyond wild." He yawned and curled his arms around her smaller frame. "Let's sleep Shizuka. We both have tomorrow off so we can talk in the morning…."

….

The next morning Naruto and Shizuka spent their morning lazily making love but finally dragged themselves out of bed to shower and have a very late breakfast. After eating Shizuka asked, "Naruto; why did you turn away from the Empress when she offered to answer your questions and give you power?"

The blonde answered, "My body was on the verge of collapse and she'd already betrayed my trust once. If it was another test I'd surely have perished. I couldn't risk it. Besides, my Shinobi instincts were telling me to lash out and try to destroy her. Logically I couldn't do that either so I removed myself from her grasp before anything else went wrong. I can still learn Sage Mode from my Grandmother Kaguya. The other knowledge that the Empress Otsutsuki may have had could have been a danger to all of us. She promised godhood but what about you, T'Lyra and Siegfried? What about our families? I've read about people gaining godlike abilities and going mad with power. I have no desire for some sort of omnipotence."

Shizuka smiled. "So you left for both logical _and_ emotional reasons."

Naruto nodded. "The pain I suffered at her Tomb Guardian's hands was devastating. She tried to ravage my mind as well as my body. I have some knowledge I picked up from her invasion but I do not know what it all is. My emotions were haywire to use a human term. I was fortunate to make it back outside to the rest of you alive."

"You said your chakra increased too." pointed out the black haired beauty.

"Yes." agreed the hybrid. "It is hard to quantify exactly but my chakra capacity has nearly tripled by my estimates. Perhaps it had to do with nearly exhausting all of my chakra fighting the Tomb Guardian. I'm not sure what other effects it may have had…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.234, Federation Border**

Captain Asuma Sarutobi was sitting in his command chair as they passed through the Federation Border into the relative safety of Federation Space. He sighed to himself. ' _Safe at home. We need to contact Starfleet Command about what we found_.' He turned to Samui and said, "Lay in a course for Starbase 15 Lieutenant Shrodinger. We have a lot of work to do. Commander Kumo, you have the bridge. I'll be in my ready room."

Asuma was soon on a secured channel submitting his report on the Eremar System mission to Starfleet High Command. He received a reply from Admiral Powell at operations within an hour. The goateed Captain was a bit surprised to be contacted by Admiral Powell so quickly. Powell appeared on the screen and said, "The Eremar System mission has been deemed a success Captain Sarutobi, well done."

"Thank you sir." replied Asuma.

Powell nodded and said, "You are to return to Earth and report to Starbase 1." Asuma's eyebrows raised but before he could reply Admiral Powell continued with, "You have your orders Captain Sarutobi. Starfleet Command out."

Asuma returned to the bridge and said, "It seems we have a change of plans. Lay in a course for Starbase 1 Lieutenant Shrodinger. Ensign Rafi; once our new course is laid in proceed at warp factor four."

"Aye sir." chorused Rafi and Samui.

' _This is unexpected_.' thought Samui. The blonde bombshell noted the slight worry in Asuma's voice but said nothing of it. "Course laid in Rafi." Rafi's eyes met Samui's for a moment and she saw Rafi was concerned as well.

"Ahead warp factor four." replied Rafi. The _Gettysburg_ smoothly accelerated onto her new course….

….

 **Stardate 2274.240, Sol III System, Starbase 1, Spacedock**

The _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ pulled into dock and the sciences team started carefully unloading the samples they'd taken on Ozari-thul. The Starbase Security was tight and the majority of the crew was staying aboard the _Gettysburg_ until further notice. That particularly applied to the chakra wielding Naruto….

Naruto was with T'Lyra in their quarters doing chakra exercises on the ceiling. To anyone else this would have been quite bizarre but T'Lyra was used to it and thought nothing of it. She was practicing her ponn-ifla routine and the young couple was talking as they exercised. T'Lyra said, "Shizuka wants to introduce us to her parents and is very excited about it. Assuming we get some leave would you like to go?"

The blonde nodded from his upside down position and said, "Samui wants us to meet her parents as well. They want to meet Siegfried's Father."

"That seems logical." said T'Lyra. "It would be easier to deal with than Shizuka's parents."

"What do you mean by easier?" asked Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

The brunette sighed. "Shizuka is concerned that if her parents find out that both she and I are your mates that her parents will be upset. Therefore she wishes to introduce me as her cousin and you as her boyfriend. She simply wishes to avoid the subject that we are mates as well."

"That is highly unlikely to work. It's an illogical concept. Her parents will either accept it or they won't." said Naruto with a flat look. "It might be preferable for just one of us to go."

"That's what I told her." said T'Lyra. "We should discuss this matter with Shizuka and work it out."

….

They heard their door chime and Naruto silently dropped from the ceiling to answer it. When he opened the door; there stood a beautiful woman in a blue sciences/medical uniform. She was very shapely with violet eyes and had wavy dark brown hair. The woman smiled invitingly and said, "Greetings, you must be Lieutenant Naruto, yes?" Seeing Naruto nod the woman continued. "I'm Lieutenant Debora Fowler from Starfleet Medical. I've been assigned to be your partner in studying chakra and its nature. I hope we will become good friends."

Naruto tensed and said, "I was not informed of such a study; nor have I received information from Starfleet Medical that any such study was authorized. Until I receive information from the Admiralty I will not subject myself to any testing Lieutenant Fowler. Good day." Then he closed and locked the door in Debora Fowler's face.

Finding herself summarily dismissed; the violet eyed woman thought aloud, "Wow. I hope things go better than this in the future or it's going to be a bumpy ride." ' _I even wore my mini-skirt uniform and he didn't give me a second glance_.' Debora Fowler turned around and went down the hall with a sway in her hips. That's when she ran into someone she knew. Down the hall strutted Lieutenant Shizuka Nadeshiko. "Shizuka Nadeshiko?" asked Fowler. "Oh my gosh it is you!"

Shizuka's green eyes widened and she said, "Debbie? Hah, unbelievable! I haven't seen you since Starfleet Academy. How are you?"

….

Shizuka and Debora went to the Officer's Lounge of the _Gettysburg_ to catch up on things and share a drink. "I can't believe it." said Shizuka. "I thought you would be studying sea creatures on Poseidon IV for the rest of your days Debbie."

Debora laughed. "When Starfleet promoted me to full Lieutenant they decided I should be shipboard as a regular Doctor who still specializes in sea creatures and especially bio-electric fields created by various life forms. It's my specialty you know."

"Well it's great that you are aboard but we already have three full doctors." said the Security Chief. "It seems kind of overkill if you ask me."

Debbie shrugged. "It wasn't my call. Besides, I'm sure there will be something for me to do on board."

"More like some _one_ to do." snickered Shizuka. "We had some pretty wild times together."

The medic sighed wistfully. "I've settled down a little bit but I can't help it that I still like handsome men."

"I'll bet." said Shizuka with a smile. The two friends clinked their glasses together. "Well anyway, welcome aboard the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ Lieutenant Debora Fowler. May your tour of duty be a good one…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.242, Earth, London, Section 31 Headquarters**

The Section 31 Commander was sitting at his desk in his dimly lit office of Section 31's headquarters. He really didn't like it but his predecessor had a flair for the dramatic and liked to be 'mysterious.' He shrugged and thought to himself, ' _We spend enough money protecting the Federation's interests without spending more on redecorating_.' His door chime buzzed and after checking the security camera he said, "Enter."

In walked Lieutenant Wanda Hardy in a black Section 31 uniform. She saluted. "Lieutenant Hardy reporting as ordered Commander."

The Commander drummed his fingers and said, "We went to a lot of work getting you on the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ Hardy. Your behavior nearly got you thrown off. It is fortunate for your career that Lieutenant Commander Lyakat has a soft spot for you and convinced Captain Sarutobi to give you a second chance. You're walking a thin line Lieutenant."

Wanda shivered slightly and said in a hollow voice, "You have my deepest apologies sir; I let my emotions get the better of me regarding the _Think Tank_. I was under the impression they were a bunch of young upstarts…."

"You made that terribly clear in your early reports Hardy." said Tower as he walked into the dimly lit room behind her. "You particularly disliked Maya Ayasugi and the Vulcan hybrid Naruto because they were ' _competing_ ' with you. As a matter of fact your attitude towards them was deemed as _'Insubordination, disruptive behavior, unseemly actions for an officer of a Lieutenant's stature…. the list goes on._ That was part of the fitness report that Commander Mabui Kumo was _going_ to send in to Starfleet Command had she not received orders from Captain Asuma Sarutobi to give you a clean slate after talking with Commander Lyakat."

Wanda's eyes widened and the Commander said, "If you keep making mistakes like this you will no longer have a place in our organization Lieutenant Hardy. Is that clear to you Wanda?"

She answered "Crystal clear sir!"

"Good." stated the Commander. "Such unprofessionalism will not be tolerated in Section 31." He brought up a file and said. "I've been reading your reports since you returned from Taurus Reach. The information you've sent on the _Think Tank_ has turned from derogatory to practically glowing. Lieutenant Naruto in particular you've practically put on a pedestal since he saved your life…." The Commander sighed. "While I understand showing gratitude in such a situation that doesn't help me answer the question of whether or not as a professional that you believe the members of the so called _Thank Tank_ are ready to join Section 31. Yes or no Hardy; which is it?"

Hardy gulped and said, "No sir; they are not ready. They are too young and too naïve for black ops…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.243, Starbase 1, Medical Command**

After getting clearance to leave the _Gettysburg;_ Naruto went to have a conversation with Admiral Pullman's staff about the so called _Chakra Study_ that Lieutenant Debora Fowler unceremoniously dropped on the blonde's plate. The orders had come from Pullman's Command and the blonde hybrid was less than thrilled about it….

Admiral Aretha Pullman knew a few things about Naruto that he could use against her and this study. First: Naruto was brilliant. He took after his Mother and his studies in genetics were outstanding though he completely overshadowed it with his work in other fields. Underestimating his intelligence could be a potentially _fatal_ mistake. Second: Naruto had connections in several branches of the Admiralty and the Vulcan Science Academy. He could use those ties to make this _Chakra Study_ blow up in her face just how he did with the _late_ Captain James. Third: Though it wasn't widely known Naruto had amassed a huge fortune with his investments and patents. If he decided to hire a small army of lawyers to storm her office with a battering ram there was really no one who could stop him….

Aretha Pullman wasn't without her own advantages though. She was a longtime friend of Naruto's Mother T'Ara M'Fau and had kept anyone from conducting research on Naruto going back to the day he was conceived so Naruto owed her that much. She also was assured that there would be no research done that Naruto didn't consent to (He'd been doing studies on himself to figure chakra out whether he wanted to admit it or not). Naruto also had a son now and if any chakra related diseases ever came to be Siegfried M'Fau would need to be protected. It was the last argument that Aretha was really betting on….

As it was Naruto had already debated most of Admiral Pullman's staff into a full retreat and now it was up to Aretha herself to convince Naruto that a _Chakra Study_ was a necessity. Her intercom buzzed and the squeaky voice of her frightened secretary came through. "L-lieutenant Naruto is here to see you Admiral."

Aretha sighed. ' _Here we go_.' She smiled weakly and said, "Please show the Lieutenant Naruto in Beth." Admiral Pullman hadn't seen Naruto face to face since he was a Cadet and was surprised to see him in a dress uniform looking like a dashing, confident young officer instead of a timid young man. His blue eyes flashed and she thought, ' _He's grown into one hell of a man. If only I was younger_.' "Hello Naruto; it's been a long time, please have a seat."

Naruto gave her the Vulcan salute and said, "I bid you greetings Admiral Pullman. It has been a long time." He sat down in the offered chair and said, "I wish to discuss this _Chakra Study_ that your office has authorized. I already know this study is being done because of the Tkon artifacts so there is no reason to sidestep the issue."

Aretha raised her eyebrows and said, "You summed that up quite nicely Lieutenant. The Admiralty wants to be able to duplicate chakra to activate the Tkon artifacts themselves. That is the issue driving this study. There are other reasons though. We've wondered if getting a disease through chakra is possible. I realize you've never been sick a day of your life but it is something to consider….especially concerning little Siegfried. He is still small and might not survive a disease you could fend off."

The blonde frowned. ' _She has a point but_ ….' "Wouldn't it have been more logical to come to me first instead of ordering this _Chakra Study_? You know both my Mother and I have studied chakra since I was five years old and activated it."

Admiral Pullman nodded her head. "Yes, I agree that coming to you first would have been the logical choice to make but the Joint Chiefs of Staff made the decision and ordered my department to carry it out. I had little say in the matter. That's why I worked in the caveat that you are an active partner in this study. Doctor Fowler can't do anything to you without your being in full agreement first. I know you've been studying the nature of chakra on your own but this will allow you to do it with some of the best facilities available on the _Gettysburg_. If nothing else do it for your little boy Siegfried."

Aretha pulled out a tablet with Lieutenant Debora Fowler's background and said, "Here are Doctor Fowler's qualifications in black and white Naruto. Her specialty is bioelectric energy fields which is what you and T'Ara have said chakra is evolved from for years. Read her dossier and tell me if you do not think Fowler is qualified for the job."

Naruto accepted the tablet with narrowed eyes and began to scrutinize the information in detail. He read for nearly thirty minutes asking questions occasionally about Debora Fowler's professional integrity before he came to a conclusion. ' _If I don't do this they might try something on my son….Admiral Pullman has set it up so most of the testing will be on my terms. This may be the best deal I can get_ ….'

The Vulcan hybrid wanted to growl but said, "I require it in writing that Fowler stops when I tell her to stop. I also want it so she can't pull rank on me regarding these tests. It's that or I contact one of the law firms I have on retainer duty for my investments…."

"You have lawyers on retainer?" asked Admiral Pullman.

"Vulcans and Tellarites." said Naruto. "There is nothing that can't be won through both logic and debate."

' _Oh dear_." thought the Admiral. ' _Arguing with Tellarites is horrible and Vulcans are even worse_ ….' "I'm sure it won't come to litigation Naruto. I'll get you those orders right now….

….

 **Stardate 2274.245, Starfleet Headquarters, Earth**

All of the various Tkon artifacts were taken down to Starfleet Headquarters on Earth for examination by specialists including Lieutenant Commander Lyakat. Several other Tkon items were brought out of vaults and repositories from around the Federation for cross reference as well. All of this combined effort was under the aegis of Admiral Danzo Shimura who was something of an amateur archeologist himself….

Admiral Shimura was talking with Commander Lyakat about the mission as he held the Veiling crystal in his hand. "So with this little chevron shaped item you can actually hide a Tkon **_planet_**? It's positively astounding Doctor Lyakat. I cannot tell you how amazed my staff and I were to see the visual records."

"It is even more majestic in person sir." said the Saurian scientist enthusiastically. "It's a shame that Lieutenant Naruto couldn't join us. He could demonstrate some of these items with his chakra."

Danzo shook his head. "I understand your feelings on the matter Lyakat but he's a Junior Officer and doesn't have the security clearance. You know Starfleet has regulations in place for a reason. Even Admirals have to follow the rules." Danzo then added with a chuckle, "….I assure you the other Tkon crystals we've found over the decades will soon be in your hands though. Lieutenant Naruto is a vital part of our research on them after all."

"I'm so glad to hear that Admiral." said Lyakat.

"I knew you would be." replied Danzo with a smile. "There are several unknown Tkon colonies that were never found Doctor Lyakat. We believe that the map that you recovered could lead us to them. Wsor and Rzom were major Tkon colonies that were never found despite decades of searching for them. Do you think it's possible that they have been under our very noses all this time but _Veiled?_ "

The Saurian rubbed his chin and smiled. He replied, "There is only one way to find out sir!"

"It makes me miss my days of being able to go out and explore the galaxy." said Danzo. "The Tkon were a great people and I believe you are the one meant to uncover their secrets…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.247, Spacedock,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

After a week of being under careful scrutiny the crew of the _Gettysburg_ was granted a week of shore leave much to their relief. Each and every one of them was sworn to secrecy about the Eremar System Mission. The order of the day was _it never happened_. T'Lyra and Naruto wanted to go together and rent a couple of speeders bikes to do some touring but they also felt it was proper for them to meet Shizuka and Samui's parents….

Naruto had a tiny smile on his face and said, "We could just ditch everybody for a week and tour Europe."

"To use a human term, you are in an ornery mood Naruto M'Fau." said T'Lyra. "But you are right. I would rather spend our time off together. What is the best solution to our problem? Both Shizuka and Samui want us to meet their families and doing both would be difficult. The simplest way would be for me to go with Shizuka and you to go with Samui."

"And logically we could get together afterwards if we have time." said Naruto. Then he added playfully, "My mate is so responsible."

T'Lyra shook her head at Naruto's antics and said, "I'm still concerned about Shizuka wanting to hide our relationship to her parents."

The blonde nodded. "I've been thinking about that too. It is a difficult problem to solve."

"I suppose given time it will work itself out." agreed the beautiful brunette….

….

 **Stardate 2274.248, Planet Earth, Cambridge, England**

Naruto went with Samui to meet her parents Siegfried and Maria Schrodinger and to talk about little Siegfried who was living on Vulcan. It was obvious that the beautiful augment woman was very excited. They beamed down from Starbase 1 to Samui's hometown of Cambridge. It was the end of summer in England and Samui was enjoying being at home. The blonde bombshell had on a black tee shirt with the Schrodinger Family Coat of Arms on it and some blue denim jeans with gladiator style sandals. Naruto was wearing a white button up shirt along with black uniform pants and boots. It wasn't his style per se but it helped him blend in on Earth better than his Vulcan robes.

Samui pointed out a few of the sights including her old alma mater Cambridge University as they walked towards her parent's house. The blonde bombshell turned to Naruto and said, "I told Mum and Papa that you are a vegetarian so Mum said she'd have something on hand for you to eat. I'm hoping for Mum's liver and onions personally. They are the best." She smiled softly at Naruto and said, "I hope you like my Mum and Papa. They've been looking forward to meeting you."

The Vulcan hybrid nodded and said, "They seemed very kind when we spoke over subspace. I'm sure they are good people to have raised you so well."

Samui blushed prettily and said, "They really want to meet little Siegfried as well. I wish we could have brought him. He's so cute." When they came around the corner there was a good sized house with (appropriately) a large brass telescope mounted on a turret like part of the roof. Samui pointed to the telescope and said, "You have no idea how many times I spent the evening looking through old Ingrid at the stars."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and asked, "Ingrid?"

"Ingrid is the telescope's name." explained Samui. "Papa wanted an old telescope to restore and use so he shopped around and finally bought Ingrid from a collection in Germany. It's from the 19th Century."

As they came up to the house they saw Samui's Mother Maria Schrodinger there sweeping the front porch. "Mum!" called Samui as she ran over to her Mother.

Maria looked up and smiled brightly. She came down off the wooden porch and met Samui halfway where the two women embraced. Then they both laughed. "Samui my dear; we've missed you so much!"

Samui's Mother was an attractive woman in her mid fifties with streaks of blonde remaining in her silver hair. She said to her daughter, "Welcome home dear." Then Maria looked down at Samui's impressive bust and asked, "Did your girls grow again?"

The blonde bombshell blushed red as a tomato and whispered, "Sssshhhh! Not in front of Naruto!"

Maria laughed uproariously and said, "You're so easy to tease dear!" Then the older woman looked over at Naruto who was slowly walking up. Maria said, "Well, aren't you a strapping young man! And quite a looker too." Samui wanted to die from embarrassment at her Mother's usual outrageous behavior….

….

 **Spacedock,** ** _U.S.S. Gettysburg_**

Shizuka and T'Lyra were in Shizuka's quarters where the brunette was helping her cousin pack. It seemed that the black haired beauty was a lot more concerned with her off duty appearance where her parents were concerned and the pair was running late. T'Lyra was in her regular off duty clothing of a snug black tank top, urban camouflage pants and combat boots. She had her hair back in its usual tight braid and had a suitcase with a couple of changes of clothing.

On the other hand Shizuka seemed to be bringing her entire wardrobe and was wearing a white tennis ensemble with her long black hair down instead of in a pony tail. She was also wearing light makeup which T'Lyra had _never_ seen her cousin do. As Shizuka raced about throwing things in her suitcases T'Lyra finally gave up and decided to sit down and just watch the semi-organized chaos….

….Eventually Shizuka got her stuff together and saw that T'Lyra had one small suitcase to her three large ones. The black haired cousin asked, "Is that all you are bringing?"

"It is all I require." replied the brunette. "Is three suitcases of belongings really necessary just to see your parents?"

Shizuka blushed slightly green and said, "Mom worries I don't have enough clothes so I always bring plenty."

T'Lyra's brown eyes met Shizuka's green ones and the brunette said, "You have plenty of clothing for both of us. Let us go."

….

 **Cambridge, the Schrodinger residence**

Siegfried Schrodinger got home from work as he was a University of Cambridge Professor of Cosmology and Astronomy. He was a stocky man in his late fifties and had a gray beard that made him look a bit older than he actually was. He was welcomed home by his lovely wife with a kiss. He chuckled, "Well, that's a wonderful way to come home. What's the occasion Maria?"

Maria smiled and said, "Samui is here; did you forget she was coming? She brought her young man Naruto as well. He's quite handsome."

Siegfried raised his bushy eyebrows and said, "I thought he was married…?"

"As I understand it he's betrothed or the Vulcan equivalent." said Maria. "He and Samui look so good together."

"Remember the last time you played matchmaker Maria darling?" asked Siegfried. "It was a bit of a disaster….and I think that rugby player still is in love with our Samui."

Maria winked at her husband. "I have a good feeling about this. Call it women's intuition."

Professor Siegfried smiled and said, "Whatever you say darling. I'd like to meet this young man regardless."

….

Naruto was up in the turret where Samui was showing him how the antique telescope 'Ingrid' worked. "….So as you can see it's very much a precision instrument." explained the beautiful blonde young woman. "It's been Papa's pride and joy as long as I remember."

The Vulcan hybrid was admiring the workmanship of the telescope when he heard someone come up the stairs behind him. He and Samui turned and saw her Father standing there looking proud. Samui smiled and said, "Papa!" and hugged the bearded man.

Siegfried laughed at his daughter's enthusiasm and gave her a big hug in return. "Samui my child; let me look at you." he said as he cupped her cheek. "Just when I think it's impossible you get even more beautiful." He turned to Naruto and held out his beefy hand to shake. "Hello Mister Naruto, I'm Siegfried Schrodinger. Welcome to my humble abode."

Naruto was going to give the Vulcan salute but ended up shaking Samui's Father's hand instead. "I am Naruto M'Fau, it is a pleasure to meet you sir."

 **…** **.**

 **Planet Earth, City of Mojave, California, United States**

Shizuka's 54 year old Father Keichi Nadeshiko was waiting for his daughter to arrive. His wife Seiko was sitting on the couch as the big, burly ex-marine paced about. "What if she got lost?" he asked. "It's already dark."

Seiko answered, "Shizuka knows Mojave like the back of her hand Keichi. There is no reason for concern."

His eyes widened. "What if she got kidnapped?"

 **"** **I'd feel really sorry for anyone dumb enough to try to kidnap our daughter." replied Seiko. "She'd eat them for breakfast."**

 **"** **What if-" Keichi was cut off by the sound of a speeder bike roaring up into their driveway. "Since when did Shizuka** **learn to** **ride a speeder?"**

"Like Father, like daughter." said Seiko with a sweat drop.

Shizuka's parents opened the front door and saw Shizuka standing beside the rented bike taking her helmet off. T'Lyra was in the process of dismounting the bike and shut it down. The younger cousin took off her helmet and shook out her braid. "What a rush! Riding these is a blast!" said Shizuka as she went back to the mini-trailer that had their suitcases on it.

Seiko smiled and came out to the driveway where Shizuka hugged her, "Mom! I've missed you so much! Where's Dad?"

"He's getting his shoes on." answered Seiko. "You're awfully late. We were getting concerned."

"I was just running a little behind." said Shizuka with a chuckle of embarrassment.

Keichi came trotting out the front door and said, "There's my baby girl! Give your old man a hug!" They embraced and he spun Shizuka around once as she laughed. "How are you Shizuka? I've missed my girl!"

Shizuka laughed and said, "I've missed you too Dad! I brought my cousin T'Lyra like I promised." She turned to her brunette cousin and said, "T'Lyra; come meet my Mom and Dad."

The beautiful brunette came forward and gave the Vulcan salute before saying, "Greetings, I am T'Lyra Tolaris of Vulcan. Shizuka has told me a lot about you. It is a pleasure to my cousin's parents."

….

After going inside the Nadeshiko residence Shizuka and T'Lyra sat down together opposite Seiko and Keichi. "What a beautiful pair you two make!" exclaimed Seiko happily. "I can see the family resemblance between you girls."

Keichi asked, "So Shizuka, can you tell us your Vulcan name?"

Shizuka smiled bashfully and said, "I don't pronounce it very well but I'm learning thanks to T'Lyra. It's S'Loren Tolaris."

"Ethsloran Tolahrez." said Keichi. Shizuka snickered as T'Lyra patiently pronounced it for Keichi. He finally shrugged and said. "You'll always be my little Shizuka as far as I'm concerned."

….

"….So your Dad got a wild hair and bought a speeder bike but it doesn't run right." said Seiko. "He doesn't know how to fix it either so it's taking up space in the garage."

"I shall inspect it tomorrow morning." said T'Lyra. "I have some experience with speeder bikes."

"Some experience?!" exclaimed Shizuka. "You are a manic mechanic T'Lyra."

Keichi had stars in his eyes. "If you can fix my bike it would be tremendous! I can't make heads or tails of it."

"We shall see." said T'Lyra.

….

Late that night the two cousins settled into Shizuka's old room. The Security Chief chuckled and said, "I feel like I'm having a slumber party."

T'Lyra said, "I've never heard the term slumber party before."

The black haired beauty explained, "A slumber party is usually a gathering of teenage girls and all the guests spend the night at the house where the party is held. It's mainly an excuse to stay up and party all night."

"So it's an Earth female bonding ritual?" asked the brunette.

Shizuka answered, "More or less. I guess you don't have slumber parties on Vulcan?"

T'Lyra shook her head. "Teenagers are rarely responsible enough to be left without adult supervision."

"That's the whole point!" said Shizuka. "Kids are _supposed_ to be irresponsible."

"Humans have a strange set of social norms." said T'Lyra.

….

 **London, Section 31 Headquarters**

"Subject Naruto M'Fau is currently in Cambridge at the residence of Professor Siegfried Schrodinger." said a male voice. "This would be a perfect opportunity to abduct him."

"Spencer, our Commander and Tower have not authorized this operation." said another.

Spencer explained, "We have outside forces contracted for this sort of job. If the operation fails it will not come back on us."

"We're taking an awful risk here but fortune favors the bold." said a female voice.

"….Make it so." said Spencer.

….

POSTSCRIPT:

….And so the crew of the _U.S.S._ _Gettysburg_ has made it back to Earth for some well deserved R  & R. A little subterfuge always adds fun to a short vacation. See you next time. Blue out. 6/12/18


	42. Chapter 42

_**Naruto: Infinity Divide**_

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It's been a long while that I've wanted to update this one. I have a lot going on in real life so updates are going to continue to be slow for awhile. (Job hunting sucks). Here is chapter 42. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

For those of you keeping track; here is an updated timeline:

 _Stardate/Year/Starfleet Battles Timeline_

Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek

Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 James T. Kirk Born

Stardate 2236. = 2236 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched

Stardate 2248. = 2248 = Y138 Shizuka Nadeshiko Born

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 NCC-1371 U.S.S. Republic (CA) Ensign James T. Kirk

Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar

Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise (CA) 5 year Mission (TOS)

Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's _kahs-wan_

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy

Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's koon-ut-la

Stardate 2271. = 2271 = Y161 Naruto and T'Lyra enter Starfleet

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 V'Ger Incident (Star Trek I)

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 End of Naruto's first semester/Naruto and T'Lyra return to Vulcan

Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 Subcommander Kurenai promoted to her first command, the RIS Scimitar (K5R)

Stardate 2273. = 2273 = Y163 Cadet Cruise aboard NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin (GSC)

Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Naruto graduates Starfleet Academy

Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Cruise aboard NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg (CB)

Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Discovery of Ozari-Thul of the Tkon Empire

Last time:

 ** _London, Section 31 Headquarters_**

 _"Subject Naruto M'Fau is currently in Cambridge at the residence of Professor Siegfried Schrodinger." said a male voice. "This would be a perfect opportunity to abduct him."_

 _"Spencer, our Commander and Tower have not authorized this operation." said another._

 _Spencer explained, "We have outside forces contracted for this sort of job. If the operation fails it will not come back on us."_

 _"We're taking an awful risk here but fortune favors the bold." said a female voice._

 _"….Make it so." said Spencer._

….

Chapter 42

 **Stardate 2274.249, Sol System, Planet Earth, City of Mojave, Nadeshiko residence**

T'Lyra and Shizuka woke up at 05:00 sharp as usual due to being on a military schedule and the two young women each took a shower before coming into the kitchen where Seiko was up early drinking her morning coffee. She said, "You girls are up awfully early; couldn't you sleep?"

Shizuka smiled and answered, "Nah, it's just a symptom of being in the military Mom. T'Lyra and I both work first shift so we automatically get up at 05:00 whether we want to or not."

"Well, your Dad won't be up for an hour and I'll start breakfast then." said Seiko. "What do you girls want? I know you love your omelets Shizuka. What would you like for breakfast T'Lyra?"

"Any vegetarian dish will suffice." replied Shizuka. "Please do not trouble yourself with anything difficult to prepare. I will help if you wish it."

Seiko's eyes turned to stars and exclaimed, "If only Shizuka would learn to cook!" Shizuka groaned and Seiko laughed. "I'll take care of the cooking T'Lyra. You are a guest but thank you."

"Perhaps I should take a look at that speeder bike then." said T'Lyra. "We have a good hour."

' _What an industrious girl_.' thought Seiko. "Just relax and have some coffee T'Lyra. Ummm, do you like coffee?"

"I have acquired a taste for Terran coffee." said the brunette. "It is all we drink down in engineering thanks to Chief Sassaav."

"So you work around the ship's engines?" asked Seiko as she handed T'Lyra and Shizuka their coffee cups.

"I work all over the _Gettysburg_ maintaining the ship but yes I am primarily stationed on the engine deck." answered T'Lyra.

Seiko whistled. "That must take some kind of degree."

"I attended the Vulcan Technical Institute at ShikHar and got my Masters Degree." explained T'Lyra. "However; most of my skills for Starfleet were learned on the job."

….

Keichi got up at 7AM and smelled breakfast cooking. As he wandered into the family room he saw his daughter Shizuka sitting on the couch looking over T'Lyra's shoulder as she drank her coffee. The brunette was studying a tablet with the design specifications of his speeder bike. Shizuka looked a bit glaze eyed and T'Lyra looked to be in extremely deep in thought as she flipped between different diagrams of the bike. Finally T'Lyra broke the silence by saying, "It seems to me that the airbrakes as designed would tend to jam if they got dirty. High speeds would also cause buffeting over uneven terrain. This is clearly designed for travelling over prepared roads."

Shizuka's Father looked wide eyed and said, "You know all about SL-2250's T'Lyra? That's great! They told me the airbrakes were finicky."

T'Lyra raised an eyebrow and asked, "You bought a vehicle even though they told you the brakes were subpar?" Seeing Keichi nod T'Lyra said, "I've never heard of an SL-2250 before yesterday. I was just studying the design before we started working on it….I'm used to racing speeder bikes. This is clearly a civilian road cruiser."

Shizuka came out of her daze and laughed. "T'Lyra, I'm sure Dad's bike isn't that bad!"

Keichi pouted and said, "An SL-2250 is considered a classic muscle speeder."

….

 **40 Eridani A, Planet Vulcan, ShiKhar District, Vulcan Science Academy**

Lieutenant Commander Lyakat entered the Vulcan Science Academy and took a deep breath. He once again was in one of the premier places of learning within the United Federation of Planets and was thrilled to be there after a four day trip. ' _I just can't get enough of this place_.' thought the Saurian scientist with a smile. ' _I just wish my colleague Doctor Devlok was well so we could talk about all things Tkon. He would be thrilled at our recent findings_.' Commander Lyakat's mission here was twofold; the first was to establish a new contact within the Vulcan Science Academy since Doctor Devlok was hospitalized and the second was to find out whether or not the Vulcan Science Academy had any of the Tkon data memory crystals in their possession.

' _I just hope the Tkon material was not sequestered away into storage where it is impossible to access_.' thought Lyakat. ' _Doctor Devlok was considered eccentric for always keeping the Tkon artifacts handy because they were his favorite subject_.' Making his way down to the Archeology Department; the Federation scientist soon was engaged with the acting head of the department who was very busy and didn't have much time to spare. Her name was Awidat and she seemed rather overwhelmed with work to Lyakat.

Doctor Awidat said to the Saurian scientist, "Doctor Devlok's coma is indeed tragic and we all wish for his return. How may I assist you Doctor Lyakat?"

The Lieutenant Commander said, "I was hoping that I could view the Tkon artifacts that are here at the Vulcan Science Academy. Doctor Devlok is one of the foremost authorities on the Tkon and I was hoping to view some of the collection he helped build here at the VSA."

Awidat raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "A most unusual request. The Tkon artifacts are no longer here."

Lyakat's jaw dropped in horror and he thought, ' _Oh gods they are boxed up in storage and inaccessible to the public!_ ' Struggling to regain his composure, the Saurian asked, "Could you tell me where they might be stored currently? It would be a huge help to my research if I could see some of the Tkon collection once again."

"Go three doors south to Doctor Alison Fairbanks Office." said Doctor Awidat. "She's is one of Doctor Devlok's graduate students. Though her specialty is astrophysics I assure you she is our current expert on the Tkon after Doctor Devlok."

The Saurian let out a breath he'd been holding and said, "I wasn't aware there were any humans on staff in the Archeology Department."

Awidat said curtly, "Doctor Fairbanks is quite brilliant Doctor Lykat. You should go see her; you might find it enlightening."

Lyakat realized he was being dismissed and smiled at Vulcan woman's bluntness. "I'll see Doctor Fairbanks straightaway then. Thank you for your time Doctor Awidat."

….

 **Planet Earth, City of Mojave, Nadeshiko residence**

After a big breakfast T'Lyra, Shizuka and Keichi went out to see Keichi's white SL-2250. It was in good shape for being nearly 25 years old. Keichi pushed it out on the driveway where T'Lyra could inspect it properly. The beautiful brunette hopped onto the speeder and started it up only to find the engine wheezed and sputtered terribly. "To begin with; this engine isn't getting enough air." said T'Lyra. She quickly got Keichi's tools and took off the two air intakes and found they were full of dirt and sand. ' _No wonder_.' thought the brunette. ' _These intakes are clogged_.'

T'Lyra started up the bike again and it roared to life much to Keichi and Shizuka's excitement. After checking over the bike and making several adjustments the brunette had the engine purring like a kitten. "This is amazing T'Lyra! You're even better at this than I thought." said Shizuka.

"What was the problem?" asked Keichi.

"The air intakes are absolutely filthy and the speeder doesn't have the proper sand filters to protect the engine." said T'Lyra. "We're going to need some parts. Is there a speeder shop here in Mojave?"

Keichi nodded and said, "There's Doug's Speeder's. They've got all kinds of stuff."

….

T'Lyra was soon on the rented speeder bike with Shizuka on the back headed to the speeder shop. When they arrived Shizuka went over to the counter to look at the displays while T'Lyra started looking through the catalog to find the parts they needed. "Welcome to Doug's Speeders ladies!" said the man behind the counter. "I'm Mark; how can I be of service?" Then he did a double take and said, "Shizuka Nadeshiko; is that you?"

Shizuka raised her eyebrows and asked, "Mark Palmer?*① Wow, I haven't seen you since high school. How have you been?"

The two old school chums were talking away as T'Lyra found what she needed for Keichi's bike. The brunette came up to the counter and was about to ask for parts when Shizuka introduced her to Mark. "This is my cousin T'Lyra from Vulcan." said Shizuka. "T'Lyra, this is my old school friend Mark Palmer."

"Well _hello there_ beautiful." said Mark laying on the charm.

T'Lyra looked unimpressed and gave the Vulcan salute. "Greetings, I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Mark sweat dropped at the cold reception as the Vulcan born young woman handed Mark her tablet with a list on it and said, "I need to purchase these parts for an SL-2250."

Mark looked at the list and said, "You do realize this is going to cost a bit…."

The beautiful brunette raised a delicate eyebrow and replied, "Your catalog says that the parts would total up at 867.50 credits with tax. Is that not correct?"

Mark look a bit taken aback. "Ummm, as long as you are aware I'll get the parts." He said, "Going aftermarket or used would be cheaper than genuine parts from the manufacturer; especially on the custom model brakes."

The black haired beauty did a double take at the cost and T'Lyra said, "Cost is not an issue. The rest of the speeder bike is original so I'd prefer to stay with original parts."

"Will do." said Mark. "I'll get the parts." He stepped in the back.

Shizuka was spazzing out and whispered loudly, "867 credits? That's a small fortune! How is Dad going to pay you back for this?!"

T'Lyra gave a tiny smile of amusement. "I wasn't intending to charge your Father. This is a gift. You do realize our mate is a multimillionaire don't you?"

The security chief looked a bit pale and asked, "He is?"

The brunette nodded and said, "I'll explain later. Trust me on this."

….

 **Planet Earth, Cambridge, England**

It was evening in Cambridge and Naruto and Samui were out looking at the Cam River from the Bridge of Sighs. The enclosed stone bridge was obviously a favorite place of the blonde bombshell. Samui explained enthusiastically, "The Bridge of Sighs was built in 1831 and was named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice and is a big spot here in Cambridge. I think it is one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Queen Victoria was said to have loved it here. To really appreciate it you need to see it from the Cam River on a chauffeured tour during the day."

Naruto was admiring the tracery in the bridge's openings when his danger sense went off. The blonde Vulcan subtly looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary except two local police officers. Everyone else there seemed to be an average citizen. As the young couple admired the scenery they moved about and Naruto kept an eye out for anyone suspicious….

….

It wasn't until after dark that the pair of blondes sat down at a café to eat dinner that Naruto said quietly, "I think we're being followed Samui. Keep an eye out for anything unusual."

At first Samui wanted to dismiss the idea of being stalked in her own home town but then she remember tight spots she'd been in with Naruto on duty. ' _His instincts are excellent. We'd best be careful_.' The blonde bombshell said with a minimal smile, "I'll take you back on a different route then." The young couple made small talk about the local sights before her own instincts kicked in while they ate. She glanced over at a couple sitting nearby eating. The unusual thing about the pair was they were wearing clothing that was very loose….Clothing you could conceal a weapon under. Her ice blue eyes locked with Naruto's azure pools and he nodded as he briefly glanced over at the other couple….

….

 **Planet Vulcan, Vulcan Science Academy**

Lyakat soon found himself in front of Doctor Fairbanks' Office. It simply said on the door, **Archeology Department; Doctor Alison Fairbanks, Astrophysicist**. Lyakat shrugged at the incongruity of the door signage and knocked. _Then_ he noticed the light was out in the office and felt rather foolish….

About twenty minutes later a young red haired human woman unlocked the door with her keycard and looked over at Lyakat who was obviously waiting for some _one_ or some _thing_. "May I help you?" asked the redhead. Her green eyes sparked with curiosity.

The Saurian scientist smiled weakly and said, "I'm waiting for Doctor Alison Fairbanks; Miss. Are you one of her interns?" ' _She looks too young to be at the VSA_.' he thought.

"I'm Doctor Alison Fairbanks." said the redhead with a Vulcan salute. "What can I do for you sir?"

Lyakat's eyes bulged a bit in surprise and he said, "Oh! Forgive me Doctor Fairbanks. I'm Doctor Lyakat and I was hoping to view some of the Tkon artifacts you have. I'm with Starfleet and-"

Alison had mirth in her eyes. "Step into my parlor Lieutenant Commander." she said as she entered her office and motioned for him to follow. "I wasn't aware Starfleet had an interest in the Tkon Empire. It was my primary area of study under Doctor Devlok before his injury."

' _Well, she knows military ranks_.' thought Lyakat with a slight sweat drop. He looked around the cluttered office and found that the walls were covered with Tkon maps….some of which he'd never seen before. His yellow eyes widened as he noticed several chevron shaped Tkon data memory crystals sitting on Allison's desk.

"Forgive the mess." said the green eyed scientist. "I was just cataloging these data memory crystals. Let me put them away and take a seat."

Doctor Lyacat asked incredulously, "You _know_ that those are data memory crystals?! Doctor Devlok spent years studying those and couldn't identify what they were!"

Allison hummed in the affirmative and said, "I took a different approach in studying them than Doctor Devlok. He was looking at them _externally_. I looked at them _internally_. The crystals are imbedded with bioluminescent inscriptions. If you expose them to a bioelectric field of energy then they reveal their contents. From what I can tell most Tkon artifacts have similar qualities. Unfortunately there are few bioelectric auras strong enough to activate them. The lowest energy ones revealed they are star maps of the Tkon Empire. Those with higher energy requirements are currently out of my reach." Then she motioned to the crystals proper. "You seemed to know these are memory storage crystals already though Doctor Lyakat. I assume you discovered this independently?"

' _She's_ _ **exceptionally**_ _perceptive_.' thought Lyakat. ' _I could really use her help_.' "A colleague of mine discovered it actually. He is also a VSA graduate. His name is Naruto."

The redhead's face lit up with a smile and she said, "Naruto M'Fau….my old study buddy. We helped each other with our Doctoral Degrees. Let me guess; his chakra can light these crystals up like a holographic projector." Seeing Lyakat nod in disbelief, she added, "Here I was thinking I'd have to capture a Capellan Power Cat to harness that kind of bioelectric energy…." She laughed. "….and risk electrocution in the process."

….

 **Planet Earth, City of Mojave, Nadeshiko residence**

T'Lyra and Shizuka pulled up in the driveway with the SL-2250 parts in the towed mini trailer. "You're telling me that every ship in the fleet being refitted with the new warp field platform is as a result of Naruto's patents?!" asked Shizuka. "Just how much is that worth?"

"500 million credits was the initial fee plus 2.5 million per refitted ship." explained T'Lyra. "Suffice it to say it is a well kept secret so do not repeat it."

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed the black haired beauty. "I had no idea. I wonder why he never mentioned it."

"He probably just forgot again." said T'Lyra in a flat tone. "Naruto never touches those funds unless he's making an investment."

….

After lunch T'Lyra went to work on the speeder bike while Keichi and Shizuka handed her the tools and new parts as needed. It took about four hours to replace the airbrakes because of their ' _most illogical design and mountings_.' In the end T'Lyra prevailed and the bike was ready to go on a test run by that afternoon. The brunette beauty hopped on the speeder bike and checked all the systems and performance levels before she took it for a test hop. Placing her helmet on T'Lyra took off like a bat out of hell leaving both Shizuka and Keichi completely slack jawed as she disappeared in a cloud of dust….

….

T'Lyra was clipping along at 100 K's when a red speeder bike raced up beside her and the rider waved jauntily before accelerating away leaving her behind. ' _He wants to race…?_ ' thought the beautiful brunette. She carefully checked her gauges and saw things were well within safety parameters. Looking up she saw the tail lights of the other speeder in the distance. ' _Challenge accepted_ ….' Cranking the accelerator, she smiled under her helmet and felt the SL-2250 start to wind up….

The Vulcan rider raced up beside the other speeder at 150 K's within seconds and she gave a two finger salute to the other rider before she kicked the SL-2250 into a high blower mode and lowered herself into a low set racing stance. T'Lyra turned up the accelerator again and left the other rider behind as she tore up the road at 300 K's in the dry desert heat of Mojave. The brunette watched amused as the other speeder tried to catch her. Being used to racing with Naruto; T'Lyra was used to taking high speed turns and drifted and banked smoothly as needed.

' _This SL-2250 is a good road machine_.' thought T'Lyra as she blew down a straightway on the highway. ' _The acceleration is good and the top speed is excellent for a non-racer. I topped out at 386 K's without going into the red_.' As the young Vulcan woman was merrily analyzing the bike's performance she was shooting past other speeder bikes like they were standing still. She didn't slow down until she reached a mini mart in Bakersfield to get herself a drink of bottled water. The red speeder caught up a half an hour later….

The other rider took off his helmet and looked shocked at the curvaceous brunette as she finished her drink. "….What took you so long?" asked T'Lyra in a logical manner. She was leaning on the SL-2250 drinking her water and added. "You must have not exceeded 220 K's."

"You're a Vulcan?" asked the man as he stared goggle eyed at the beautiful young woman.

"That is correct." said T'Lyra.

He shook his head. "You're too hot for me lady."

T'Lyra gave a minimal smile as she put her helmet back on. She said, "Apparently so…." Then the brunette whipped the SL-2250 around and was gone before he could say another word….

….

Travelling at a much more sedate (and legal) 100 K's T'Lyra made it back to Mojave an hour later and pulled into the Nadeshiko family driveway. She saw her cousin Shizuka come out of the garage with a smile as T'Lyra shook out her braid from her helmet. Shizuka asked, "Where did you go? Did the speeder run okay?"

Keichi came out and said, "You must have been cruising around the neighborhood to be gone two hours."

"I went up to the city of Bakersfield, took a half hour break and came back. The bike topped out at 386 K's without a single problem. I want to run a few diagnostics once it cools off."

Shizuka and her Father's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and Keichi choked out, "386 kilometer's per hour?! _That's insane!_ "

"I was challenged to a race and decided to see what your bike could do Keichi." explained T'Lyra. "I'm pleased to report it performed well within its designed capacity."

"But what possessed you to get into a race to begin with?" asked Keichi.

"It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time." replied the brunette.

Keichi looked ready to faint and Shizuka finally regained her wits and burst into hysterical laughter….

….

 **Planet Earth, Cambridge, England**

Samui and Naruto were deftly moving from place to place in the shadows and found they had no less than six pursuers. It was getting very late out and the people that had been trailing them the last four hours had forgone stealth and were actively chasing the pair of blondes. However, between Samui knowing all the places to hide in Cambridge like the back of her hand and Naruto using subtle genjutsus to hide them; the six trying to hunt them kept losing the trail. Naruto was also creating shadow clones from time to time in order to confuse their pursuers and lead them astray.

The blonde couple was currently hidden in an alcove under one of the many stone bridges watching two of the people that were trying to catch them. The man and woman were whispering to each other loudly and it was obvious that they were exasperated. The man said, "This is ridiculous! We've been playing cat and mouse with the blonde pair for _hours_ and haven't come _close_ to catching them! How the hell could team two be following the in the north while team three are headed southwest towards London?! We spotted them hours ago at that café and have followed them _diligently!_ Now we've lost them _again_. This is confounding!"

The woman of the pair was extremely agitated herself. "We never should have taken this job! It's been a messed up wild goose chase from the outset and the Vulcan and his girlfriend are just jerking our chains! I've had enough; let's give up and go home. We can't go near the Schrodinger residence and were supposed to have nabbed them by now. Our contractors didn't pay us enough for this nightmare."

Hearing the two would be kidnappers lamenting their bad luck made Samui want to burst into a fit of giggles despite her normally serious demeanor. In spite of the fact they were technically in danger; the blonde augment woman was having an absolute blast playing in the streets and thought this was the best date she'd ever been on….

The man said, "This is impossible. I'm telling the others to call it off. _I. Have. Had. It!_ "

As their two pursuers stormed off and hailed a taxi, Naruto created two more shadow clones to trail them just in case. He gave Samui a tiny smile and said, "It seems we've eluded our pursuers." Then Samui gave him a milliwatt smile and kissed him with enough electricity to curl his toes….

….

 **Stardate 2274.251, Planet Vulcan, Vulcan Science Academy**

VSA Director Sekla was in his office having spiced tea with Lieutenant Commander Lyakat, Doctor Awidat and Doctor Alison Fairbanks. Doctor Lyakat was explaining the current situation of archeological research on the Tkon Empire in Taurus Reach to the Director now that he had the clearance to do so (It took two days and the permission of Starfleet and that was only _after_ Admiral Shimura gave the go ahead)….

The Saurian said eagerly, "….So as you can see we've taken quantum leaps in our research having found the Capital of Ozari-Thul of the Tkon Empire and need the support of the Vulcan Science Academy. Doctor Devlok and just as importantly Doctor Fairbanks' contributions to this field could have a huge impact with Starfleet as I'm sure you can imagine. I've spoken to Admiral Danzo Shimura in detail on the subject over the last two days and we would like Doctor Allison Fairbanks to join us in our research as a formal liaison between the Vulcan Science Academy and Starfleet. Obviously this would benefit the archeological community and advance our understanding of the Tkon Empire more than ever before."

Sekla nodded to himself and said, "It is certainly an interesting proposal. I've been following Doctor Fairbanks' research on the subject eagerly and I'm sure Doctor Devlok would feel a great deal of satisfaction knowing his research is being appreciated at long last. What do you think as our acting Director of Archeology Doctor Awidat?"

"Doctor Fairbanks is the logical if not the only choice on the subject." said Awidat. "From Doctor Devlok's own notes she and Doctor Naruto M'Fau are the most qualified of his students to carry on his work."

"….And Doctor M'Fau is already working with me on the project on Starfleet's side." interjected Lykat. "Think of what they can achieve in tandem!"

Awidat said patiently, "Your enthusiasm is noted Doctor Lyakat." Lyakat blushed and Doctor Awidat asked, "What do you think Doctor Fairbanks?"

Allison replied, "The Tkon artifacts we have are still are being organized and archived and I am loathe to leave that assignment unfinished without a designated successor." _Lyakat's yellow eyes bulged_. Then the redhead continued, "That being said this is a golden opportunity to increase both our knowledge and the size of our collection. Given the nature of archeology this project will take years. I believe that the Vulcan Science Academy should seize this chance."

Director Sekla nodded. "Though I share your misgivings I agree that this opportunity is too good to pass up Doctor Fairbanks." Then the Director got a gleam in his eye and said, "No doubt you will also enjoy working with your old partner Doctor Naruto M'Fau as well Alison."

Alison blushed prettily and said, "Yes sir…."

….

 **Stardate 2274.252, Sol III Orbit, Starbase 1, Spacedock,** _ **U.S.S. Gettysburg**_

Captain Asuma Sarutobi was sitting in his ready room on the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ talking with Admiral Danzo Shimura who was on screen from Starfleet Headquarters on the surface. Shimura said, "The Tkon Colonies of Wsor and Rzom are your primary objectives Captain Sarutobi. I don't have to tell you how this is of great importance to the Federation but also the scientific community as a whole. It is also highly classified needless to say."

"Of course sir." replied the sweat dropping Asuma. ' _We aren't on a double encrypted security channel for nothing after all. It's no wonder Dad and Admiral Shimura never got along. Shimura is paranoid_.' "I do have to question the matter of involving a civilian from the Vulcan Science Academy in such a classified operation though. Doctor Lyakat is very enthused about the prospects of working with this person but I see this as a potentially huge breach of security."

Danzo looked a bit constipated on the screen and then said, "Unfortunately Doctor Alison Fairbanks is a necessity given she has access to the largest collection of Tkon Artifacts in the Federation. She has already worked as a Federation liaison in the past so I doubt she'll give you any problems."

Captain Sarutobi covered his smile and said, "I'm familiar with Doctor Fairbanks' work from the failed Stasis Field Generator project." ' _She's quite a feisty little spitfire._ _ **Sure**_ _she won't give us any problems. She sassed Captain Mei Terumi._ _ **That**_ _takes guts_.'

The Admiral coughed at the mention of the Stasis Field Generator disaster and said, "No doubt your familiarity with the Doctor's work will be an advantage then."

"Of course sir; I'll do my best." replied Asuma….

….

 **London, Section 31 Headquarters**

Three days after the attempted abduction of Naruto M'Fau utterly failed; Section 31 operative Spencer and his two cohorts were sitting together with their heads hung down in front of Commander Tower. "You three do realize that Lieutenants M'Fau and Schrodinger are _far_ too valuable to be mishandled this way don't you? Just as badly the professionals you hired completely bungled the operation like rank amateurs even though they are top tier. If I didn't know better I'd say Shrodinger and M'Fau were _toying_ with them! ….You three will await here for your sentences to be passed." said Tower passively.

The three Section 31 operatives were severely punished losing both their rank and two pay grades. Furthermore they were dismissed from section 31 and drummed back out into the fleet knowing that if they even _thought_ about Section 31 their lives would be forfeit….Considering the alternative was _execution_ they were considered to have received given light sentences….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

*① Mark was briefly seen way back in chapter 3 attending school with Shizuka.

Next chapter we'll round up the crew and the _U.S.S. Gettysburg_ will set sail again. This chapter has been sitting around half written for months and I'm glad I got it completed. See you next time. Blue out. 2/12/19


End file.
